NEWSLETTER 2011
222
one private individual and large organization do not negotiate equitably,
because one of the parties has the power to determine the terms of the
contract in favor of itself.
Before NCO
Imbalanced relationship under GTT generates a need for upholding
legal protection for the party who enter into contract for the acquiring
the services or the products without bargaining opportunity. This need
initially draws attention for unconscionable consumer credit contracts in
which one party has superior bargaining power over other contracting
party. Arising thereof, GTT is mainly regulated with respect to the
transactions of which the addressees are consumers under article 6 titled
“Unfair Conditions of Contracts” of the Act concerning Protection of
Consumers numbered 4077 (“Act nr. 4077”).
Before regulated under Act nr. 4077, since there was no provision
with respect to GTT and the legal protection tried to be achieved based
on the mandatory provisions of Code of Obligations, Civil Code or
Commercial Code such as bona fides, violation of law, public morality or
public order or fraudulent actions.
In accordance with Article 6, added to the Act nr. 4077 with an
amendment announced in the Official Gazette dated 14.03.2003
1
, the
terms and conditions of contract, which are set forth in the agreement
unilaterally by the seller or the provider of the services without any
negotiation with the consumer -in other terms adhering party- and which
are against the bona fides, and thus causes extensively imbalanced
relationship against the consumer, are defined as “Unfair Conditions”.
This article also indicates that unfair conditions are not binding for the
consumers and can be put aside by the judge. Again, in accordance with
this article, as per article 7 of the “Regulation on Unfair Conditions under
Consumer Contracts” (“Unfair Conditions Regulation”) announced in
the Official Gazette dated 13.06.2003 and numbered 25137 emphasize
the invalidity of the unfair conditions and it sets forth that if the contract
stands, the remaining parts of the contract will be valid.
1
The “Law for Amending the Law concerning the Protection of Consumers” numbered 4822
announced in the Official Gazette dated 14.03.2003 and numbered 25048.