Turkish police seized more than 3 million counterfeit items with an estimated market value of 591.7 million lira ($12.5 million) in 2,900 operations nationwide during the first half of 2026, according to a senior police official.
The operations resulted in the seizure of 3,000,045 counterfeit items and legal action against 3,229 suspects, Cemil Cem Aydın, head of the Turkish police’s Intellectual Property Crimes Unit, told the pro-government Türkiye newspaper.
Counterfeit goods generally violate intellectual property rights by reproducing protected trademarks, logos, packaging or designs without authorization.
The unit operates under Turkey’s Security Directorate General and conducts operations in all 81 provinces.
Aydın said counterfeit goods harm legitimate businesses and cause losses in tax revenue and employment, while some products also pose risks to public health.
He said the unit’s work was also aimed at preventing the financing of organized crime and terrorist groups through the counterfeit trade.
Turkey also participated in two recent international operations targeting counterfeit medicines and food products, Aydın said.
Pangea XVIII, coordinated by INTERPOL, targeted the illegal trade in counterfeit, falsified and unauthorized medicines. Conducted in March across 90 countries and territories, the operation resulted in the seizure of 6.42 million doses of illicit pharmaceuticals worth $15.5 million.
Opson XV targeted counterfeit and substandard food and beverages. The annual Opson operations are jointly coordinated by INTERPOL and Europol.
Aydın said counterfeit goods were most commonly found in Turkey’s textile, footwear and handbag industries. Cases involving cleaning products, chemicals, cosmetics and automotive spare parts have also increased, he added.
As counterfeit sales increasingly move online, police have expanded their investigations beyond street inspections to include digital analysis, international cooperation and partnerships with the private sector, according to Aydın.
He said artificial intelligence could help investigators analyze data, identify risks and conduct operations more effectively but warned that criminal networks were also using the technology to produce more convincing counterfeit goods and develop new methods of fraud.