An amendment published in Türkiye’s Official Gazette No. 33348 of 22 August 2026 introduces a new transitional option for manufacturers of Category O vehicles. For Category O vehicles that were covered by a valid EU or national type approval during the period in which they were manufactured but whose approval later ceased to be valid because new technical requirements became mandatory, it provides the possibility of an additional period in the sale and registration timetable.
What has changed?
The amendment to the third paragraph of Article 86 of the Turkish Regulation on the Type-Approval and Market Surveillance of Motor Vehicles and Their Trailers (EU/2018/858) introduces a specific provision allowing an additional period to be applied to the sale and registration dates specified in the relevant legislation for Category O vehicles.
The vehicle must have been covered by a valid EU or national type approval during the period in which it was manufactured. Its CoC must also have been issued before the mandatory application date of the legislation that caused the approval to lose validity. Where both conditions are met, 12 months are added to the sale and registration dates specified in the relevant legislation for complete vehicles and 18 months for incomplete vehicles.
The additional period is 12 months for complete vehicles and 18 months for incomplete vehicles.
Why does the distinction matter?
A complete vehicle requires no further stage of completion to satisfy the applicable technical requirements. An incomplete vehicle requires at least one further manufacturing stage before it can be ready for registration. The longer period reflects this additional work, but the vehicle must still be completed and meet the registration conditions within that period.
Illustrative timetable for the 7 July 2026 transition
For Category O vehicles affected by the relevant mandatory application steps under EU/2019/2144, where the type approval lost validity and the CoC was issued before 7 July 2026, the following dates may apply if all other conditions are fulfilled:
- Complete vehicle: sale and registration by 6 July 2027.
- Incomplete vehicle: completion and registration by 6 January 2028.
These dates are an illustrative calculation. The final deadline must be verified against the vehicle, its type approval and the application timetable of the specific legislation that caused the loss of validity.
What should manufacturers verify?
A production date alone is not sufficient. Manufacturers should reconcile, for each vehicle, the CoC issue date, the EU or national approval number, the legislation and mandatory date that affected validity, the completion status of the vehicle, any remaining manufacturing stages and the consistency of the records used for sale and registration.
The extension is not an exemption for new production
The amendment does not permit continued production to an obsolete technical level after the mandatory application date. Certificates of Conformity issued after the mandatory application date must be based on compliance with the current applicable technical requirements and a valid type approval.
Nor does every Category O vehicle automatically qualify. CoC date, approval status and the applicable legislation must be assessed together. The specific provisions governing sale, registration, placing on the market or entry into service continue to apply to Category M and N vehicles.
Official source
The amendment was published in the Official Gazette No. 33348 of 22 August 2026 and entered into force on the same day. Manufacturers should complete a vehicle-by-vehicle technical review of their stock list, CoC records and approval scope before relying on the transition period.
Anemon Engineering supports manufacturers in assessing type-approval validity, CoC dates and transitional deadlines for Category O vehicles.
Summary
The amendment allows 12 months to be added to the relevant sale and registration dates for qualifying complete Category O vehicles and 18 months for qualifying incomplete vehicles. Eligibility must be verified vehicle by vehicle against the CoC issue date, type-approval status and the legislation that caused the loss of validity; the additional period is not an exemption permitting new production to an obsolete technical level after the mandatory application date.
