It is increasingly common for companies or individuals to be declared bankrupt in one country while still holding significant assets in another. If your debtor has been placed into insolvency or bankruptcy proceedings abroad but owns real estate, bank accounts or shares in Turkey, you cannot simply assume that the foreign insolvency automatically “covers” the […]
Many foreign creditors believe that once they have a final court judgment or arbitral award from their own country, they can immediately seize assets in Turkey. Under Turkish law this is not possible. Before you can start “ilamlı icra” (enforcement based on a judgment) in Turkey, you must usually obtain a recognition and enforcement decision […]
Turkey’s citizenship by investment programme allows foreigners to acquire Turkish nationality through qualifying real estate purchases, bank deposits or other forms of investment. When the investment is genuine and properly documented, this route can be stable and long term. However, if the investment is built on fake or inflated valuations, sham payment flows or “cash-back” […]
Many foreigners think that overstaying in Turkey is “just a small fine at the airport.” In reality, Turkish law treats overstays as a violation of the right to legal stay, which can lead to fines, multi-year entry bans, deportation procedures and, in some cases, human-rights discussions about non-refoulement (protection against return to danger). This guide […]
Winning a lawsuit abroad against a Turkish debtor is only half the battle. A foreign judgment does not automatically give you the right to seize assets in Turkey. To convert your foreign judgment into real money, you must first obtain a Turkish court decision on recognition and/or enforcement (tanıma ve tenfiz). Only after that can […]
In Turkey, once a criminal investigation targets a company or its executives, it is not only personal liberty that is at stake. The criminal justice system (under the Turkish Penal Code – TCK – and the Criminal Procedure Code – CMK) allows prosecutors and judges to freeze bank accounts, seize immovable properties, and even take […]
Foreign creditors holding cheques, promissory notes or bills of exchange issued in connection with Turkish business transactions have access to a powerful collection tool under Turkish law: special execution proceedings on negotiable instruments (kambiyo senetlerine özgü icra takibi). This is a fast-track, document-driven enforcement mechanism regulated mainly by the Turkish Enforcement and Bankruptcy Law and […]
Under Turkish enforcement law, a debtor who believes that he or she does not actually owe the amount claimed is not limited to objecting to the payment order at the enforcement office. In some situations, the debtor may also file a “debt release action” (borçtan kurtulma davası) before the civil courts. This is a special […]