History and Current Situation of Halal Certification Studies in Turkey Türkiye’de Helal Belgelendirme Çalışmalarının Tarihi ve Mevcut Durumu

While standard halal studies in the world started on a national basis in the 1970s, it became international in 2010 with the establishment of the Standards and Metrology Institute for Islamic Countries (SMIIC) under the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC). Halal certification, the first applications of which started in Turkey in 2009, started to be implemented comprehensively by official institutions with the adoption of the standards of the Standards and Metrology Institute for Islamic Countries by the Turkish Standard Institution (TSE) in 2011. In line with the preferences of 1.8 billion Muslims, as well as non-Muslims, the market, which consists of food, finance, tourism, pharmaceuticals, textile, logistics, and cosmetics in general, addressed to halal-certified products and services in the world, is $3.6 trillion in finance and $ 2 trillion is in the field of products and services, of which $ 1.2 trillion is in the food sector. The estimated size of the global halal certification market is around $ 6 billion. Considering the religious, social, cultural, and economic aspects of halal certification, the issue is of great importance regarding Turkey's relations with other Islamic countries. This study has been tried to examine the background and current situation of halal certification in Turkey and to determine the situation in the world with a comprehensive look at the halal certification studies between 2011-2022. In this process, especially the content, form, goals, and effects of halal certifications in the country are discussed. Inadequate practices of some companies over halal certification were also included in the research. The accessible literature on halal and the standards that form the basis of halal certification has been reviewed, the structure and functioning of the relevant institutions have been examined, and domestic and foreign field observations have been reflected in the study as much as possible. When viewed from the outside, halal certification studies, which are seen only as a review of documents, are examined in detail how they are done technically and religiously. It has been determined how important the investment and cooperation of Islamic countries is in such an area where even non-Muslim countries make large investments. From an external perspective, halal certification studies, which look like only a review of documents, are examined in detail how they are performed both technically and religiously. It has been determined how important the investment and cooperation of Islamic countries is in such an area where even non-Muslim countries make large investments. Considering the number of Muslims living in Europe, North America, and the Far East, it has been concluded that the studies carried out by these countries in the field of halal show that they not only want to meet the Islamic requirements of the Muslim community, but also want to play an active role in the field of commerce, strategy, culture, and tourism. While examining the investments and developments in the religious and economic fields related to halal, it was concluded that the increase of the effects and results obtained in coordination with the studies within the universities and the reflection of the practices obtained in the field and the observations and determinations on the academic field will further increase the quality in this field.