If a product is being imported into Turkey in such increased quantities, absolute or relative to domestic production, and under such condirions as to cause serious injury or threat of serious injury on the domestic industry that produces like or directly competitive products, a safeguard measure can be applied on imports of that product pursuant to relevant provisions of the WTO Agreement on Safeguards and the related national legislation. Safeguard measures are applied only to the extent necessary to prevent or remedy serious injury. While safeguard proceedings are initiated by the receipt of fully documented petitions from the domestic industry in general, Ministry of Trade can also start such proceedings on ex-officio basis. Safeguard measures can take the form of increase in customs duty, additional financial liability, quantitave restriction or any combinatioan of these.