Türkiye: Medicinal Herbal Teas and Aromatherapy Products Now Pharmacy-Only

The Official Gazette of Türkiye No. 33298 of 2 July 2026 published four regulations within the remit of the Turkish Medicines and Medical Devices Agency (TİTCK): the Regulation on Medicinal Herbal Teas, the Regulation on Aromatherapeutic Products, and amending regulations to the Regulation on Licensing of Traditional Herbal Medicinal Products and the Regulation on Licensing of Foods for Special Medical Purposes. All of them entered into force on the date of publication.

Under the new regulations, medicinal herbal teas and aromatherapeutic products, whether prescription or non-prescription, may be sold only in pharmacies. A licence and a sales permit are required before a product is first placed on the market, and all movements from production to the pharmacy will be recorded in a QR-code-based electronic tracking system. Food supplements and herbal and fruit teas marketed as food are excluded from the scope of the herbal tea regulation.

The traditional herbal medicinal products regulation now excludes medicinal herbal teas and aromatherapy products from its scope, adds a definition of "well-established use" based on the active substance having been used for more than ten years in EU countries and/or Türkiye, and extends the two-year transitional period in its provisional article to five years. In the regulation on foods for special medical purposes, pesticide assessment is now based on the residue limit of each individual pesticide rather than total residues, and the licensing application deadline has been moved from 1 July 2026 to 1 July 2027; existing permits of products that do not apply by then will become invalid.

For suppliers working with foods for special medical purposes, herbal products and the pharmacy channel, reviewing portfolios against the new classification and planning licensing timelines is now a priority. At CSC we manage our product groups in line with the legislation through a GDP-compliant supply chain.

Source: Official Gazette of the Republic of Türkiye, 2 July 2026, No. 33298 (regulation texts via alomaliye.com); Turkish Medicines and Medical Devices Agency (titck.gov.tr).