Turkish Ministry of Trade investigates socks featuring Ratko Mladić imagery

The Turkish Ministry of Trade has filed a criminal complaint following reports of socks bearing the ‘Made in Türkiye’ label and the image of war criminal Ratko Mladić being exported to Serbia.

Inspectors conducted a market surveillance audit at a company located in the Bayrampaşa district of Istanbul, which was identified as being linked to the product. While the specific socks featuring Mladić's image were not found during the inspection, officials identified labeling deficiencies in other sock samples. These samples have been sent to an accredited laboratory for testing.

Company representatives stated they previously had commercial ties with a Serbian firm named ‘Blue Land’ but claimed they did not recognize the individual in the image. They noted that they terminated their relationship with the Serbian company approximately 1.5 years ago after learning about Mladić. The Ministry has initiated a judicial investigation into the firm and relevant individuals regarding the potential ‘praising of a crime and a criminal’ and emphasized that exporters must be aware of the imagery and expressions used on products bearing the ‘Made in Türkiye’ mark.