Indonesian Coffee Export to Turkey: TAREKS 2025 Guide

A practical, exporter-side checklist to pass TAREKS label checks for roasted, instant, and green coffee in Turkey. What must be on the label, Turkish language rules, importer details, date/lot formats, sticker labels, and a ready-to-use mockup you can hand to your Turkish partner.

We went from label detentions to 100% TAREKS passes in 90 days by standardizing four things: Turkish language, importer details, date and lot formats, and a pre-shipment label review inside TAREKS with the importer. Here’s the exact system our Indonesia-Coffee Team uses for roasted and instant coffee going into Turkey in 2025.

The three pillars of a clean TAREKS pass

Turkish-compliant label. The label must be in Turkish and match Turkish Food Codex terms. This is where most delays happen. We recommend a “Turkey-ready” variant of your artwork or a high-adhesion Turkish sticker.
Correct party on the label. The Turkish importer’s name and full address must appear on the pack. Don’t ship without it. TAREKS reviewers look for it.
Dates and lot that Turkish officers can read fast. Print a clear best-before date and a visible lot code. Use a simple Turkish prefix and a numeric format that can’t be misread.

What’s interesting is how small formatting decisions decide whether you get released within days or end up reworking labels in a bonded warehouse. Let’s break it down.

Weeks 1–2: Get the requirements right and draft the label

In our experience, two weeks is enough to lock the label. Coordinate early with your Turkish importer because they file the TAREKS application.

Language. Turkish is mandatory on the consumer-facing pack. Bilingual is fine, but Turkish must be prominent and accurate.
Product name. Use names defined in the Turkish Food Codex coffee rules. Examples: “Kavrulmuş Çekirdek Kahve” for whole-bean roasted coffee. “Çözünebilir Kahve” for instant coffee. “Aromalı Kahve” for flavored coffee. “Öğütülmüş Kahve” for ground coffee.
Ingredients. For pure roasted coffee, you may present “İçindekiler: %100 Kahve.” It’s accepted and avoids debate. Instant or flavored coffee must list full ingredients in descending order, and allergens must be emphasized.
Net quantity. Use SI units with a space: “Net: 1 kg” or “Net: 250 g.”
Country of origin. “Menşe Ülke: Endonezya.” If you blend origins, say so accurately.
Importer. “İthalatçı: [Company Name], [Street], [District], [City], Türkiye. Tel: [optional].” We’ve found label rejections spike when the importer’s address is missing or abbreviated.
Producer/exporter ID. You can add “Üretici: PT FoodHub Collective Indonesia, [address].” Not mandatory, but useful for traceability and B2B buyers.
Best-before date and lot. Use “TETT” for best-before. For shelf-stable coffee, a best-before is expected. Print “TETT: 31.12.2026” and “Parti No: FB2312A.” Keep it simple, legible, and indelible.
Storage and preparation. Typical lines: “Serin ve kuru yerde saklayınız.” For instant coffee: include preparation instruction if helpful.
Claims. Avoid nutrition or health claims unless you can substantiate them. Don’t imply “sugar-free,” “low acid,” or “detox” without basis. For “organic,” make sure the certification is valid in Turkey.

Practical takeaway: Build a Turkey label template with locked fields for importer, TETT, and lot. We keep one for roasted whole bean, one for ground, and one for instant.

Weeks 3–6: Validate with your importer in TAREKS and finalize application strategy

Here’s the thing. Your importer will upload label images in TAREKS and face the local Food Control Authority review. Reviewers will compare that image to the physical pack on arrival.

Printed vs sticker labels. Both are accepted. A durable, non-removable Turkish sticker works if it adheres firmly and covers any conflicting text. We use high-adhesion matte stickers for short runs and pre-printed bags for recurring SKUs.
Where to apply labels. You can apply Turkish stickers before shipment or in a Turkish bonded warehouse/free zone before release. This is common and compliant if done before market placement. The importer should note this in their process plan.
Font size and contrast. Aim for x-height 1.2 mm for most text, 0.9 mm for very small packs. Choose high contrast. Black on kraft is riskier than black on white. Rejections for poor legibility are avoidable.
Translation review. TAREKS reviewers do look at wording. We’ve seen detentions for “espresso roast” being misrepresented as a product type instead of a roast description. Keep the formal name correct and use marketing lines elsewhere.
Barcode and CE mark. Barcodes are marketplace, not regulatory. CE is not for food. Don’t crowd your label with irrelevant marks.

Need a quick label sanity check on your artwork before your importer uploads to TAREKS? Feel free to Contact us on whatsapp.

Weeks 7–12: Lock in SOPs for repeat shipments

Your first three releases set your rhythm. We standardize three SOPs:

Pre-print proofing. Exporter sends Turkish label PDF and a high-res photo of an applied sticker to the importer. Importer stores both inside the TAREKS dossier.
On-pack QC at origin. Before palletizing, verify TETT and lot readability under poor lighting. We use a simple 8-point checklist and reject smudged or faint codes.
Arrival playbook. The importer confirms labels are applied and unchanged from the TAREKS images before the physical check. It prevents “image vs pack” mismatches.

With this, our release timelines fell to a predictable few days, even during peak season.

What exactly must be on roasted coffee labels in Turkey in 2025?

At minimum for a compliant roasted coffee label:

Legal name: “Kavrulmuş Çekirdek Kahve” or “Öğütülmüş Kahve.”
Ingredients: “İçindekiler: %100 Kahve.”
Net quantity: “Net: 250 g” (or 500 g, 1 kg, etc.).
Country of origin: “Menşe Ülke: Endonezya.”
Importer name and address in Türkiye.
Best-before date: “TETT: 31.12.2026.”
Lot code: “Parti No: FB2312A.”
Storage condition: “Serin ve kuru yerde saklayınız.”

For premium single origins you export, the trade name can reflect the origin as a descriptor, for example: “Kavrulmuş Arabica Kahve – Sumatra Mandheling.” If you’re selling a finished product like our Roasted Arabica Java Coffee or Roasted Arabica Aceh Gayo, keep the origin claim consistent with your lot documents and the label’s “Menşe Ülke.”

Are nutrition facts required for plain roasted coffee?

For plain roasted or ground coffee with no added ingredients, nutrition tables are generally not required in Turkey. The practice mirrors EU exemptions for single-ingredient products and non-significant nutritional value as consumed. Instant coffee, flavored coffees, 3-in-1 mixes, and RTDs do require nutrition tables and ingredient lists.

Instant and flavored coffee: what changes on the label?

For “Çözünebilir Kahve” and any flavored coffee, add:

Ingredients list in descending order, with allergens emphasized. Example: “İçindekiler: Kahve, Aroma [Süt ürünü içerir].”
Nutrition table per 100 g and optionally per serving.
Additives or flavorings with their Turkish names. Avoid brand terms for flavors.
If sweetened, include sugars in nutrition and do not claim “şekersiz.”

We’ve found that flavored profiles benefit from an extra line: “Alerjen uyarısı: Süt ürünü içerir.” Officers appreciate clear allergen signaling.

Date and lot: what format works best?

Best before. Use “TETT” followed by day-month-year in digits. Our default is “TETT: 31.12.2026.” While month-year can be acceptable for long shelf life, full DD.MM.YYYY removes ambiguity.
Lot code. “Parti No” followed by your internal batch. Keep it alphanumeric but simple. Don’t bury the lot under the gusset or in low-contrast ink.
Production date. Optional for coffee, but some importers prefer adding “Üretim Tarihi: 01.01.2025” for traceability. If you add it, ensure it doesn’t contradict your TETT logic.

Split-screen macro showing a clear, high-contrast marking area on a white sticker versus a faint, low-contrast marking area partly hidden under a coffee bag’s bottom gusset, with a flashlight beam and a gloved hand lifting the fold.

Sticker vs printed labels, and where to place importer details

Are sticker labels acceptable? Yes, if they’re durable and not easily removable. Officers will tug at them. If it peels, expect a note.
Can labels be applied in a bonded warehouse? Yes. Many importers apply Turkish stickers in a bonded warehouse or free zone before release and before the physical label check. Align timing with your importer’s TAREKS workflow.
Importer details timing. The importer’s name and address must be on the label before customs release. Don’t rely on outer cartons only. Put it on each consumer unit.

Who checks labels: TAREKS or the Ministry?

Your importer files through TAREKS. The Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry’s food control units do the substantive review against Turkish Food Codex. Practically, if the label image and the physical pack align and meet Codex rules, you’re cleared.

A ready-to-use mockup you can copy

Plain roasted coffee, single-origin example:

Front: “Kavrulmuş Çekirdek Kahve – Arabica Bali Kintamani.” Net: 250 g. Menşe Ülke: Endonezya.
Back: İçindekiler: %100 Kahve. TETT: 31.12.2026. Parti No: FB2312A. Serin ve kuru yerde saklayınız. İthalatçı: ABC Gıda Dış Tic. A.Ş., Maslak Mah., Sarıyer, İstanbul, Türkiye.

Instant coffee, flavored example:

Front: “Çözünebilir Aromalı Kahve – Vanilya.” Net: 100 g. Menşe Ülke: Endonezya.
Back: İçindekiler: Kahve, Aroma [Süt ürünü içerir]. Besin Değerleri (100 g): Enerji, Yağ, Doymuş Yağ, Karbonhidrat, Şekerler, Protein, Tuz. TETT: 31.12.2026. Parti No: IN2412V. Saklama: Serin ve kuru yerde. İthalatçı: ABC Gıda Dış Tic. A.Ş., İstanbul, Türkiye.

Five mistakes that kill TAREKS clearances (and what to do instead)

Missing importer address. Fix: hardcode an importer text field in your Turkey label template.
Ambiguous dates. Fix: always use “TETT: DD.MM.YYYY.”
Low-contrast lot stamps. Fix: test print on final substrate. Switch to darker ink or move location.
Misleading product names. Fix: use Codex names first. Put marketing terms second. For blends like our Roasted Espresso Coffee Blend, make the legal name and blend description clear.
Overpromising claims. Fix: strip claims down. Keep origin, roast, processing method, and cupping notes. Save functional claims for markets that allow them.

Resources and next steps

Build two master labels. One for roasted single-origin or blends like Roasted Mandheling Coffee Beans. One for instant/flavored.
Align with your importer now. Share PDFs and high-res sticker photos for their TAREKS file. Small prep saves weeks in port.
For green coffee sold B2B in Turkey, the shipping unit still needs traceability, origin, and importer details visible. If you’re shipping single-origin greens such as Sumatra Mandheling Green Coffee Beans or Blue Batak Green Coffee Beans, make sure pallet and bag tickets mirror the TAREKS data.

Questions about your actual artwork or date/lot coding? Contact us on email and we’ll review a proof. If you’re evaluating SKUs for Turkey, you can also View our products to match origins and blends to your range.

Final takeaway: Turkey is label-driven. If the Turkish text, importer details, and date/lot coding are clean and visible, TAREKS becomes routine. We’ve seen this cut release times from weeks to days, and it’s absolutely repeatable when you lock the system above.