Frequently Asked Questions
Can I can consult with one of your lawyers online?
We provide legal consultation in all fields of Turkish law and litigation system to our foreign clients via the internet. At a date and time of your discretion, we may make an appointment and meet via WhatsApp, Telegram, Zoom, Skype or any other platform.
Do I need to be present in Turkey to start legal proceedings, buy properties, apply for residency/work permits or Turkish citizenship?
The short answer is, in most cases, no. However, we will require a power of attorney (POA) to act on behalf of you in Turkey.
Essential to note that every word in POA is important and we may require specific wordings or mug shot photos on the document depending on the particular transaction you wish to legally conduct. For this reasons, it is advisable for you to consult with us beforehand.
We would like to remind you that you can limit the POA we require by setting an expiration date or specifing the wording for the kind of transaction you wish to authorise our office. Also, you can look up for the names and contact information of our lawyers both from our website and the attorney search lists of Istanbul Bar and Union of Turkish Bar Associations.
There are two ways for you to authorise our lawyers from your location of residence:
(1) You can issue a POA in consulates of Turkey (you will need to make an appointment beforehand) in your country and then post the POA to our firm.
(2) If your state has an apostille agreement with Turkey, you can issue the POA from a notary from your country. But in this way, before posting the POA to us, you will need to have this POA stamped an official certificate (an 'apostille') in the competent authority in your country (depending on the domestic law of your state, it may be the ministry of foreign affairs or simply a municiplality). Then, we will have your document translated to Turkish in Turkey.
How can I issue POA in Turkey?
If you wish you to issue POA in Turkey, we will accompany you to notary where you will be asked your original passport along with its Turkish translation, a temporary tax number (is issued by the local tax office) and two mug shot photos (not in all cases).
Essential to note that every word in POA is important and we may require specific wording depending on the particular transaction you wish to legally conduct. For this reasons, it is advisable for you to consult with us beforehand. In most cases, we prepare the POA for our clients both in Turkish and English, and also a certified interpreter of the notary office verbally translate the information on the POA papers since all the documents in notaries in Turkish.
Is the attorney-client privilege is applicable in Turkey?
Pursuant to the Attorneyship Law of Turkey and the Professional Rules, there is a blanket rule of confidentiality obligation for attorneys. With this absolute duty of secrecy, attorneys are prohibited from disclosing any information they possess with any third parties and have the legal privilage to refuse appearing before courts as witnesses.
On what basis do you determine attorneyship fees?
In Turkey, the lawyers are prohibited from practising their profession for free and Union of Turkish Bar Associations annually updates the Minimum Attorneyship Fee Tariff (Avukatlık Asgari Ücret Tarifesi) according to which minimum attorneyship fees are determined. However, this list demonstrates the legal minimum and our firm will negotiate with you about the attorneyship fees depending on the complexity of your case and the policies of our firm.
When shall I have my case resolved?
There can be no definitive answer to this particular question since not only each case has its own parameters that affect the length of the process but also there are acts that need to be conducted by third parties such as administrative or judicial bodies in many cases, which makes it difficult to make spot-on estimations.
Nevertheless, our lawyers shall do everything in their power and exercise due diligence to accelerate the process.