What Does Accredited Certification Mean? Why TÜRKAK Accreditation Matters
"Accredited certificate" is a common phrase, but what does it actually mean? The difference between certification and accreditation, TÜRKAK's role, why accreditation makes a certificate internationally valid, and how to verify whether a certificate is genuinely accredited.
The phrase "accredited certificate" is used often but frequently misunderstood. Accreditation is granted not to the certificate itself but to the body that issues it. Let's make the distinction clear — because a certificate's value largely depends on it.
Certification ≠ accreditation
There are two distinct layers:
- Certification: A body (for example, ASİS UK) evaluates a company's management system, product or personnel against a standard and certifies it. The output: a certificate such as the company's ISO 9001 certificate.
- Accreditation: The independent confirmation, by a higher authority (in Türkiye, TÜRKAK), of that certification body's impartiality and technical competence. In other words, the answer to "who audits the auditor?"
In short: an accredited certificate = a certificate issued by an accredited body. Accreditation guarantees the credibility of the body behind the certificate.
What is TÜRKAK?
TÜRKAK (the Turkish Accreditation Agency) is Türkiye's sole authorised national accreditation body. It accredits certification bodies, inspection bodies and laboratories against the relevant international standards.
What matters: TÜRKAK is a signatory to the European co-operation for Accreditation (EA) and the international IAF / ILAC multilateral recognition arrangements. As a result, a certificate under TÜRKAK accreditation is recognised abroad too, on the principle of "certified once, accepted everywhere."
Which activity is accredited to which standard?
| Activity | Accreditation standard |
|---|---|
| Inspection body | ISO/IEC 17020 |
| Management system certification | ISO/IEC 17021-1 |
| Product certification | ISO/IEC 17065 |
| Personnel certification | ISO/IEC 17024 |
| Testing / calibration laboratory | ISO/IEC 17025 |
When a body says "we are accredited," it should state to which standard and within what scope — accreditation is always limited to a defined scope.
Why does it matter?
- Recognition: Tender specifications and major customer audits usually require "a certificate from an accredited body."
- International validity: Through the EA/IAF/ILAC chain, the certificate is accepted across borders.
- Trust: Accreditation is independent proof that the certifier is impartial and competent — the certificate is more than "paper."
ASİS UK's position — let's be transparent
We are clear and honest about this:
- Our inspection (ISO 17020) activity is in the TÜRKAK accreditation process. We will share the scope transparently as the process advances.
- Certification, personnel certification and laboratory services are delivered with our accredited partners — the accreditation for these services rests with the partner.
- Our own management systems (ISO 9001, 14001, 45001, 27001) are certified by an accredited certification body.
Our principle is simple: we do not claim an accreditation we do not hold. This is the most basic responsibility of a certification body — impartiality and honesty are not negotiable.
How to verify that a certificate is accredited
- Check whether the certificate carries an accreditation mark and a scope.
- Query the issuing body's accreditation scope in the national accreditation body's (TÜRKAK) records.
- For an ASİS UK certificate, verify its validity by number on the Verify Certificate page.
Questions?
To discuss your certification needs and what accreditation means for you, reach us through the Request a Quote form; our expert will respond within 24 hours and assess the situation honestly.
— ASİS UK Certification Team