TURQUALITY Audit Process & Strategic Business Plan: Guide to Staying in the Program

Ara 12, 2025

Being accepted into the program is just the beginning of the challenging TURQUALITY journey. The real struggle is managing to stay in the program and ensuring the continuity of support. Many companies fall into complacency, thinking “We’re in, now we can relax,” only to fail the performance audit at the end of the 5th year (or interim audits) and get expelled. The key to sustainability in TURQUALITY is a living “Strategic Business Plan” and a corporate structure that is constantly audit-ready.

İçindekiler Tablosu

1. The Program’s Constitution: Strategic Business Plan (SBP)

Every company accepted into the program must submit a comprehensive 5-year Strategic Business Plan to the Ministry. This plan is not a formality. Support payments are directly contingent upon this plan.

Content of the Plan: Target markets, growth targets in these markets, marketing activities to be undertaken, budgets, and expected export returns (ROI) are detailed.
A Living Document: The SBP is not static. As market conditions change (e.g., a crisis in a country, a new market opportunity arising), it must be revised by presenting justifications to the Ministry. Acting without a plan risks the support.

2. Monitoring and Audit Mechanism

The Ministry monitors companies not just when paying support, but continuously.

A) Annual Performance Monitoring

At the end of each year, the company reports how much of its targets it has achieved. KPIs (Key Performance Indicators) such as export growth, brand awareness scores, and market entry are examined. Significant deviations from targets trigger a “warning” mechanism.

B) 5th Year Performance Audit (The Moment of Fate)

At the end of the initial period of the Brand Support (end of 4th year) or TURQUALITY (end of 5th year) program, a comprehensive independent audit is conducted, just like at entry.

Purpose of the Audit:

Did the company achieve the corporate development it committed to upon entry?
Did the support provided translate into measurable export growth and brand value?

Those who successfully pass this audit earn the right to a second 5-year term in the program. Those who fail are expelled.

📌 Practice & Additional Info: The most common reason for expulsion from the program is the company acting “support-focused” rather than “strategy-focused.” That is, spending the money but neglecting corporate transformation and permanent growth in target markets. A “TURQUALITY Office” that manages strategy should be established, not just a department collecting invoices.

3. Risks of Expulsion from the Program

The following situations are grounds for expulsion from the program:

Being found insufficient in performance audits.
Providing misleading information or documents to the Ministry (This also requires legal action).
Failure to maintain or loss of trademark registration.
Bankruptcy or liquidation of the company.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it possible to transition from the Brand Support Program to TURQUALITY?

Yes. Within the 4-year period of the Brand Support Program, if the company believes it has reached the necessary corporate maturity and export performance, it can request an early audit and apply to transition to the “higher league,” the TURQUALITY program.

What happens if we don’t meet the targets in the strategic plan?

Reasonable deviations stemming from global economic conjunctures may be met with understanding. However, systematic failure to meet targets and corporate regression lead to failure in the performance audit and expulsion from the program.

Who pays for the audit costs?

Fees for independent audit firms conducting program entry and performance audits are covered (supported) by the Ministry within certain limits.

Professional Support

Staying in the TURQUALITY program is at least as difficult as getting in. Preparing the Strategic Business Plan, revising it, and preparing for the 5th-year audit require serious project management. You can rely on Vergi Merkezi management consultancy expertise for the sustainability of the process.

📍 Service Areas: Istanbul, Ankara, Izmir, and throughout Turkey.

⚠️ Legal Disclaimer: Audit criteria and performance valuation metrics may be updated by the Ministry. This content is for informational purposes; current legislation and implementation principles must be followed for process management.