Money owed in Türkiye — your questions, answered.

Usually yes. A matter that arises in Türkiye is normally dealt with under Turkish law, and your nationality or where you now live does not, by itself, remove a right to claim. Many matters can be run remotely under a power of attorney, so you often do not need to travel back. Whether a claim is worth pursuing depends on the facts and on the time limits that apply, which a Turkish lawyer can review with you.

Yes. A Turkish lawyer can work with you in English and handle the Turkish side of the matter, such as correspondence, filings and contact with the other party, insurer or court. Turkish documents in your file, such as a policy or a denial letter, can be read and explained to you, and where an authority requires a document in Turkish, a sworn translation (yeminli tercüme) can be arranged. This is general information and does not create a lawyer-client relationship.

You can usually appoint a Turkish lawyer remotely by signing a power of attorney (vekâletname) in your own country. As a rule it is prepared before a notary and then either apostilled under the Hague Apostille Convention or, where that convention does not apply, legalised by a Turkish consulate, together with a sworn Turkish translation. The document normally needs specific authority wording for the lawyer to act, and the exact requirements may depend on your country and your matter, so it is best confirmed for your situation.

It helps to collect whatever shows what happened and what you lost. Depending on the matter this may include any official report, contract, invoices or receipts, photos, correspondence, proof of payment or income, identity and passport details, and, for an insurance dispute, the policy, your claim and the insurer's denial or payment letter. You do not need a complete file to start, and missing documents can often be obtained later; sharing what you already have lets a lawyer give a more accurate first view.

Turkish lawyers are bound by a professional duty of confidentiality under the Attorneyship Law (Avukatlık Kanunu), and personal data is also protected under the Turkish Data Protection Law (KVKK, Law No. 6698). In general your information is used to assess and handle your matter and is shared only where this is necessary, such as with a court, an insurer or the other side, or where the law requires it. If you have concerns about how your data is handled, you can ask for these to be explained before you share sensitive material.

Usually there is no charge for an initial review of your situation, where we look at the basic facts to see whether there may be a way to recover money owed to you in Türkiye. This first review is general information about Turkish law for foreigners, not legal advice, and reading it does not create a lawyer-client relationship. If your matter is one we can take forward, we explain the next steps and any fees clearly before you decide to instruct us.

Lawyers' fees in Türkiye work within a legal framework: the Attorneys Act (Avukatlık Kanunu No. 1136) and the bar's minimum fee tariff (Avukatlık Asgari Ücret Tarifesi) set a binding floor, so a fee usually cannot be agreed below that minimum, while the exact amount above it is agreed in writing. We set out how fees would be calculated for your matter before you instruct us, so you can understand the likely costs in advance. The amount often depends on the type of claim and the work involved, so we explain this rather than quote a figure before reviewing your case.

The value of a money-recovery matter in Türkiye usually depends on the actual losses you can show and the evidence available, such as contracts, payment records, medical reports, or an insurance policy. Because every case turns on its own facts, we do not quote a figure before reviewing your documents, and any early estimate could be misleading. After looking at your evidence, we can give you a more realistic view of what may be recoverable and whether the matter is worth pursuing.

It depends on the type of claim, and there is no single deadline that fits every case. As a general guide, claims based on a contract or unpaid debt usually have a long period (often around ten years under the Turkish Code of Obligations, TBK Art. 146), while some special claims run for a shorter five years (TBK Art. 147) and injury claims usually have a much shorter period from when you learn of the harm. Because the right period depends on the facts, it is wise to ask early rather than assume you still have time.

Maybe not. Injury and accident (tort) claims generally must be brought within a shorter period from when you learn of the harm and who is responsible, with a longer overall cut-off from the date of the event (TBK Art. 72). For road traffic accidents the special rules in the Highway Traffic Act (KTK No. 2918) apply, and where the accident is also a crime a longer criminal-law limitation period may apply, so a claim you assume is time-barred is sometimes still possible. The exact period depends on the facts, so it is worth checking your specific case.

Yes, different claim types follow different rules. Employment claims such as unpaid wages or severance generally have their own period (often around five years) and usually require mandatory mediation before most court cases can start (Law No. 7036). Insurance disputes follow the limitation periods in Turkish commercial law (often around two years under the Turkish Commercial Code, TTK), and many policyholders can also use the Insurance Arbitration Commission (Law No. 5684) instead of court, so the deadline and the route that apply to your situation can vary.

Property, inheritance, debt, injury, and insurance claims each have their own limitation rules, and some are shorter than people expect. Beyond the deadline itself, evidence such as reports, documents, and witness memories can fade over time, which may weaken an otherwise valid claim. This is general information about Turkish law and not legal advice, but acting sooner usually keeps more options open, and a lawyer can check which period applies to your facts.

In Türkiye, an unpaid debt is often pursued first through enforcement proceedings (icra takibi) at an enforcement office, rather than by starting with a full lawsuit. The office issues a payment order (ödeme emri) to the debtor; if the debtor does not object within the statutory period, the proceeding can become final and assets may be seized. A licensed Turkish lawyer (avukat) can usually start this for you and act locally, so in many cases you do not need to travel. See Recovering unpaid commercial debt from a Turkish company.

In ordinary debt collection, a timely objection (itiraz) generally suspends the enforcement, and the creditor then has to go to court to continue. Depending on the documents behind the debt, the route is usually either annulment of objection (itirazın iptali, İİK art. 67), heard in the ordinary court that has jurisdiction over the dispute (for a commercial debt, typically the Commercial Court of First Instance), or removal of objection (itirazın kaldırılması, İİK art. 68), which is decided by the enforcement court (icra mahkemesi) where you hold a qualifying document. Which path fits depends on your evidence and the applicable deadlines, so it is assessed case by case. See The legal route and who is liable.

Potentially, yes. Where the legal conditions are met and there is a real risk the debtor will move or hide assets, Turkish law allows you to ask a court for a precautionary attachment (ihtiyati haciz, İİK art. 257) that can freeze assets such as bank accounts before judgment. Courts usually require the creditor to post security (teminat), and the attachment normally must be followed up with enforcement or a lawsuit within set time limits, so acting early often matters. See Securing assets early (precautionary attachment).

It depends on your contract and the facts, but two main routes usually exist. If the unit was actually built and your promise-to-sell contract supports it, a title cancellation and registration suit (tapu iptal ve tescil) can ask the court to register the flat in your name; if it was never built or cannot be transferred, the usual route is to terminate, claim a refund of what you paid, and seek damages under the Turkish Code of Obligations (TBK). Where you bought as a consumer for your own use, Law 6502 on pre-paid housing sales (on odemeli konut satisi) may add further protection, such as a maximum delivery period and withdrawal rights. See Property disputes in Türkiye.

Foreigners can generally bring this kind of claim in the Turkish courts, often without travelling to Türkiye, using a notarised and apostilled power of attorney with a sworn Turkish translation. Whether the deposit (kapora) must be returned usually depends on why the deal collapsed and on what your contract says, and the route is normally to demand repayment plus any damages under the Code of Obligations (TBK). If you bought as a consumer, consumer-law rules may apply on top of the general law, which can affect both the competent forum and the deadlines. This is general information about Turkish law, not legal advice on your case. See Deposit and title problems.

Where the unit exists and the seller will not transfer, the common route is a title cancellation and registration suit (tapu iptal ve tescil), asking the court to cancel the current registration and register the property to you. A promise-to-sell contract (satis vaadi) can usually only be enforced for a transfer if it was made in official form before a Turkish notary (TBK art. 237), so the exact document you signed matters. If there are signs of fraud, such as a double sale or an undisclosed lien, a criminal complaint can sometimes run alongside the civil claim, but no outcome can be promised in advance. See Title (tapu) problems explained.

A foreign court judgment usually has no automatic force in Türkiye, so you generally cannot hand it straight to an enforcement office and start seizing assets. A Turkish court must first give it effect through enforcement (tenfiz) under MÖHUK (Law No. 5718, articles 50 and following), and only then can Turkish enforcement proceedings (icra takibi) be opened against the debtor's assets. The court reviews a defined set of conditions, such as finality, defence rights, and public policy, and normally does not re-try the underlying dispute. This is general information about Turkish law and not legal advice; whether enforcement is realistic depends on your specific judgment and the debtor's assets here. See Recognition and enforcement of foreign judgments in Türkiye.

For foreign court judgments, MÖHUK article 54 requires reciprocity between Türkiye and the country where the judgment was given, which may exist by treaty, by statute, or through de facto practice. If reciprocity is missing for your country, a court judgment may face a real obstacle to enforcement here, which is often why this point is checked early. The position is generally framed differently for arbitral awards, which follow their own rules. This is general information only; the way to understand your situation is to have the country of origin and the type of decision reviewed against the current framework. See How reciprocity affects enforcement in Türkiye.

Yes, foreign arbitral awards usually follow a different track. They are handled under MÖHUK articles 60 to 63 and, where it applies, the 1958 New York Convention on the Recognition and Enforcement of Foreign Arbitral Awards, to which Türkiye is a party. The grounds a Turkish court may refuse on are limited and largely mirror Article V of the Convention, for example an invalid arbitration agreement, lack of proper notice, or a conflict with public policy. Türkiye applies the Convention subject to commercial and reciprocity reservations, so how these rules affect your award generally depends on the seat of arbitration and any applicable treaty. See Enforcing foreign arbitral awards in Türkiye.

You usually cannot claim Turkish assets on a foreign document alone. The normal route is to first obtain a Turkish certificate of inheritance (veraset ilamı / mirasçılık belgesi), then take a separate step to transfer title or release each asset, and to file the inheritance and transfer tax declaration. This can often be handled from abroad through a power of attorney, so you may not need to travel to Türkiye. See Inheritance & estate recovery for foreign heirs.

For Turkish real estate and Turkish bank accounts, the land registry and banks generally require a certificate of inheritance obtained in Türkiye, even if your foreign document is apostilled and translated. Which law applies is split: under MÖHUK (Law No. 5718) art. 20, succession is generally governed by the national law of the deceased, but immovable property located in Türkiye is governed by Turkish law whatever the deceased's nationality. A foreign will or court grant may still matter but often needs a recognition or enforcement step (tanıma/tenfiz), so the route depends on your documents and facts. See Which law applies and the certificate of inheritance.

When there is a foreign element, such as a foreign-national heir, the certificate of inheritance is usually obtained through the civil court of peace (sulh hukuk mahkemesi), because a notary typically cannot issue it in those cases. For immovable property in Türkiye, Turkish succession law applies, which includes reserved-share (saklı pay / forced-heirship) protections for certain close relatives that may limit how far a will can override them. What you ultimately receive depends on the lawful shares under the applicable law, any valid will, and the debts of the estate, so the analysis should be done on your exact facts. See The legal route and which law applies.

Employees in Türkiye are generally protected by the Labour Act (İş Kanunu) no matter their nationality, so being foreign usually does not by itself stop you from claiming unpaid salary, severance (kıdem tazminatı) or notice pay (ihbar tazminatı). For most pay and compensation claims you normally must first apply for mandatory pre-litigation mediation (arabuluculuk) under the Labour Courts Act (Law No. 7036); if that does not settle, the matter can then go to the Labour Court (iş mahkemesi). Your work-permit history can affect how some claims are framed, so the details should be checked against your own contract and payslips. This is general information about Turkish law, not legal advice. See Unpaid wages & severance for foreign employees.

Often it is not too late: severance, notice pay and annual leave pay commonly carry a five-year limitation period that usually runs from when your employment ended, while some receivables such as overtime may run from when each amount became due, so the exact deadline depends on the type of claim. You generally do not need to travel back, because a licensed avukat can act for you through a power of attorney (vekâletname) prepared at a Turkish consulate, or apostilled abroad with a sworn Turkish translation. Because limitation rules vary, the deadline that applies to your dates should be checked before you assume the door is closed. This is general information about Turkish law, not legal advice. See How it works if you are abroad.

Usually yes. Being a visitor in a rental car does not remove your right to claim for injuries caused by another road user. Under Turkish law the compulsory traffic insurance regime in the Highway Traffic Code (Karayolları Trafik Kanunu, Law No. 2918) often lets you pursue the at-fault vehicle's compulsory traffic insurer up to the policy limit, and this can normally be handled after you have flown home. This is general information about Turkish law, not legal advice, and each case depends on its own facts. See Traffic accident compensation in Türkiye.

Often there may still be a route, even when no valid insurer can be reached. Türkiye has a statutory guarantee fund, the Güvence Hesabı (set up under the Insurance Law, Law No. 5684), which exists for cases such as where the vehicle was uninsured, never identified (a hit-and-run), or stolen. Conditions and proof requirements apply, so whether your situation fits depends on the facts. This is general information about Turkish law, not legal advice. See Uninsured and hit-and-run accidents.

Not necessarily. Hotels, activity operators and tour operators can carry responsibility under the Turkish Code of Obligations (Law No. 6098) where carelessness or an unsafe condition caused your injury, and their liability insurer is often the party that pays. If you were partly at fault, that usually reduces the award by your share rather than cancelling the claim (TBK art. 52). The outcome depends on the evidence and the facts of your case, and this is general information, not legal advice. See Accident and injury claims.

Usually not. A refusal or short payment is the insurer's position, not a binding decision, and it can often be challenged when it is tested against your actual policy wording and Turkish insurance law (the insurance provisions of the Turkish Commercial Code, Law 6102). Depending on your policy and the insurer's membership in the system, the dispute may go to the Insurance Arbitration Commission (Sigorta Tahkim, under the Insurance Act, Law 5684) or to the courts. This is general information about Turkish law for foreigners, not legal advice, and whether a challenge is worth making depends on the wording the insurer relied on and the facts of your loss. See Denied or underpaid insurance claims in Türkiye.

Insurance claims in Türkiye are subject to limitation periods under the Commercial Code (often two years, and longer for some life or liability cover) that may already be running from when your claim fell due, so they differ by the type of cover and a missed deadline may end the claim. A refusal or payment letter does not necessarily reset these periods, but it can affect timing and the route you take, so it is usually safer to act promptly rather than assume you still have time. Even if some time has passed, it is often worth checking where you stand before deciding nothing can be done. This is general information about Turkish law for foreigners, not legal advice on your situation. See How long you have to challenge an insurer.