The Turkish Standards Institution (TSE) has begun to receive requests from companies as the authorized body to give the "Saudi quality brand" and "conformity certificate" required for certain products except food, cosmetics and medical products exported to Saudi Arabia.

TSE President Sebahittin Korkmaz talked about the institution's activities abroad, explaining that the TSE has more than 120 collaboration agreements with equivalent international standardization and certification organizations in accordance with the rules of the World Trade Organization (WTO) in order to prevent technical barriers in international trade and facilitate and accelerate exports. Korkmaz said that they have sped up efforts in this area for Turkey's export targets.

Korkmaz recalled that they signed one of these agreements with the Saudi Standards, Metrology and Quality Organization (SASO) in 2015, with the aim to increase bilateral relations and contribute to the facilitation of trade. "In addition, collaboration and exchange of information on standards and technical regulations to be implemented by the parties, conformity assessment procedures, conformity certificates issued and quality brands were included in the agreement," Korkmaz said.

Pointing out that the TSE has provided exporters with the conformity certificate sought for products exported to Saudi Arabia since 2012, Korkmaz said that the TSE re-applied and received oversight authority in 2016 in accordance with the new SASO regulations.

Korkmaz said that they signed the partial authorization agreement with SASO in June to be able to give the "Saudi Quality Brand" in accordance with the legislation amendment in Turkey, adding that the TSE has begun to receive requests from companies as the authorized body in Turkey to grant the export certificates.

Korkmaz said that they are trying to further improve economic cooperation between the two countries, explaining that according to the new legislation, an informative meeting for producers and exporters, during which application procedures of SASO regulations and the quality mark certification systems will be discussed, will be held on Aug. 23 at the TSE Gebze Quality Campus. "The representatives of the exporting companies will be informed about the application procedures of the regulations and quality mark certification system by TSE and SASO officials," Korkmaz said. "We invite all of our companies to attend this meeting, which will allow us to exchange views on the problems faced in export."