Notes from the front lines of Turkish business law.
Practical guides and analysis for foreign investors, founders and counsel navigating the Turkish legal landscape.
Lex Lata Insights archive September 2026
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Shareholder Deadlock and Exit Remedies in Turkish Companies: Dissolution for Just Cause (TCC Art. 531), Buy-Out at Real Value, and Withdrawal in Limited Companies
Strategy for foreign shareholders on dissolution for just cause (TCC Art. 531), the court's power to order a buy-out at the real value of the shares as at the date closest to judgment, the limited company routes in Arts. 636/3 and 638/2, and protective measures while proceedings run.
62 pieces listed
The collection
2024–2026Piercing the Corporate Veil, Asset Tracing, and Fraudulent Transfers in Turkey (TCC Art. 553, EBL Art. 277 & TPC Art. 158)
Enforcing judgments against parent companies, controlling shareholders, and sister entities in Turkey through veil-piercing and avoidance actions.
Disputes & EnforcementEnforcing Bank Guarantee Letters in Turkey: Injunctions Against Unfair Encashment (HMK Art. 389) and TBK Art. 128 Liabilities
Comprehensive legal guide to enforcing bank guarantee letters in Turkey, obtaining emergency preliminary injunctions against fraudulent calls under HMK 389, and bank independent payment liabilities under TBK 128.
Corporate & CommercialEnglish-Speaking Lawyers & Law Firm in Fethiye: Property, Inheritance, Maritime & Expat Legal Guide (2026)
Comprehensive legal guide for international investors, British expats, and property owners in Fethiye, Göcek, and Muğla: Title Deed (Tapu) due diligence, foreign heir inheritance & probate, yacht registration & marina disputes, and Fethiye Courthouse litigation.
Corporate & CommercialEnglish-Speaking Lawyers & Law Firms in Istanbul: Practical Guide for Foreign Clients & Companies (2026)
Comprehensive legal guide for international corporations, foreign investors, and expatriates on hiring English-speaking lawyers in Istanbul: Çağlayan & Anadolu courthouse jurisdictions, notarized Power of Attorney (POA) procedures, bar association fee tariffs, without-notice applications for precautionary attachment, and cross-border commercial litigation.
Corporate & CommercialCorporate Shareholder Disputes, Minority Rights & Board Liability in Turkey: Strategic Litigation Guide
In-depth corporate litigation guide for foreign investors, joint venture partners, and minority shareholders on General Assembly annulments (TCC 445), director personal liability (TCC 553), special audit orders (TCC 438), joint venture deadlocks, and court-ordered dissolution under TCC 531.
Disputes & EnforcementCommercial Fraud, Asset Tracing & White-Collar Crime in Turkey: Corporate Investigation & Asset Recovery Guide
Strategic litigation roadmap for multinational corporations, foreign investors, and funds on aggravated fraud (TCK 158), emergency criminal asset freezing (CMK 128), director embezzlement (TCK 155 / TCC 553), MASAK transaction suspensions, and cross-border asset recovery in Turkey.
Disputes & EnforcementMedical Malpractice Claims for Foreign Patients in Turkey: Cosmetic Surgery & Bariatric Negligence Compensation
Strategic legal guide for international medical tourists on physician and private hospital liability under TCO Articles 506 and 66, proving surgical negligence, forensic medicine board audits, and claiming full economic and moral damages for revision surgeries and bodily harm in Turkey.
Disputes & EnforcementRegistering Commercial Claims in Turkish Bankruptcy & Concordat Estates: Priority Ranking & 15-Day Appeals under İİK
Comprehensive legal guide for domestic and cross-border creditors on claim registration deadlines under Turkish Enforcement and Bankruptcy Law Articles 218-235, statutory priority rankings under Article 206, and filing lawsuits to challenge the claims schedule within 15 days.
Disputes & EnforcementAction for Annulment of Fraudulent Conveyance & Asset Recovery in Turkey (EBL Arts. 277-284)
How international creditors challenge fraudulent asset transfers, sham real estate sales, and debtor asset dissipation in Turkey under Enforcement and Bankruptcy Law Articles 277-284.
Intellectual & Industrial PropertySource Code Ownership, IP Due Diligence and FSEK Art. 18 Copyright Assignment in SaaS Companies
Legal guidelines on software source code ownership, employee vs contractor copyright assignment under FSEK Art. 18, and open-source viral licensing risks in M&A due diligence.
Corporate & CommercialEmployee Stock Option Plans (ESOP) & Phantom Shares for Startups under Turkish Law
How global startups and Turkish scaleups structure equity incentive plans (ESOP), conditional capital increases under TCC Art. 463, non-voting dividend certificates (Art. 502), and phantom stock.
Corporate & CommercialBoard Member Liability, Discharge and Derivative Claims in Turkish Joint Stock Companies
A deep legal guide on the duty of care, differentiated joint liability under Article 557 of the Turkish Commercial Code, legal effects of general assembly discharge (ibra), and statutory limitation periods.
Intellectual & Industrial PropertyPatent or Utility Model in Türkiye: Which Fits, and When
Turkish law offers two registered rights for a technical invention, and the choice between them is made at filing rather than later. This note sets out what each one demands in substance, how long each lasts, how the search report and examination stages differ, and what a foreign applicant should expect on the PCT and European routes.
Immigration & CitizenshipShort-Term Residence Permits in Türkiye: Grounds, Renewal and Refusals
The short-term residence permit is the route most foreign investors, property owners and long-stay visitors take into Türkiye's residence system. This guide sets out the grounds in Article 31 of Law No. 6458, the minimum property value introduced in 2022, the closed-neighbourhood practice, the renewal window and what can be done when an application is refused.
Intellectual & Industrial PropertyCustoms Seizure of Counterfeit Goods in Türkiye
Turkish customs can hold a suspect consignment, but only for a short statutory period, and only if the brand owner has already put a surveillance application on file. This note sets out how the application works, what has to be obtained from the court within ten working days of notification, and where the simplified destruction procedure fits.
Intellectual & Industrial PropertyTrademark Non-Use Cancellation in Türkiye: The Five-Year Rule
A Turkish registration is not a permanent reservation. Article 9 of Industrial Property Law No. 6769 requires genuine use in Türkiye within five years of registration, and Article 26 allows any interested person to ask for revocation when that use is missing. This guide sets out what genuine use means in practice, what evidence carries weight, and how a specification can be cut back rather than cancelled outright.
Intellectual & Industrial PropertyTrademark Opposition in Türkiye: Grounds and Deadlines
An opposition before TÜRKPATENT rises or falls on two things: a two-month period that runs from bulletin publication and cannot be extended, and the evidence you can produce if the applicant asks you to prove use. This note sets out the statutory grounds, the procedure inside the Office, and what happens after the Re-examination and Evaluation Board decides.
Immigration & CitizenshipWork Permits in Türkiye: The Employer's Application and the 1:5 Rule
In Türkiye a work permit is applied for by the employer, not by the person who will do the work. This guide sets out the two application routes, the requirement to employ five Turkish citizens per foreign employee, the capital and salary thresholds the Ministry applies, and the narrower routes for shareholders and independent professionals.
Disputes & EnforcementLate Delivery of an Off-Plan Apartment in Türkiye: Your Rights
Off-plan purchases in Türkiye run under a dedicated regime: delivery must happen within the contractual period and never more than 48 months from the contract date. This guide sets out what a buyer can do when that deadline passes, how delay damages and penalty clauses work, and where the claim is brought.
Disputes & EnforcementSuing a Developer in the Turkish Consumer Courts: A Foreign Buyer's Guide
A claim against a Turkish developer is won or lost twice: at the start, in choosing the right forum and clearing the pre-action conditions, and at the end, in whether the judgment can actually be collected. This guide sets out the route from notice to enforcement for a buyer based abroad.
Disputes & EnforcementReal Estate Fraud in Türkiye: Types, Remedies and Asset Freezing
Property fraud in Türkiye is answered on two tracks opened together — a criminal denunciation, which is prosecuted ex officio with no complaint deadline, and a civil action to cancel a wrongful registration or recover money — both supported by measures that freeze the property and the bank accounts before they move on.
Disputes & EnforcementRecovering a Property Deposit (Kapora) in Türkiye
Turkish law does not use the word kapora. Money handed over at contract formation is presumed to prove that a contract was made — not to buy a right to walk away — and a promise to sell land is void unless drawn up by a notary. This guide explains when a deposit must be returned, on what legal basis, within what period, and before which forum.
Disputes & EnforcementDeveloper Bankruptcy and Konkordato in Türkiye: The Buyer's Position
When a developer enters konkordato or bankruptcy, the buyer stops being a contracting party and becomes a creditor in a collective procedure governed by short deadlines and a strict ranking. This guide sets out how the claim is registered, what a land-registry annotation does and does not do, when performance in kind is possible, and where the buyer actually stands.
Disputes & EnforcementConstruction Defects in Türkiye: Warranty Liability for Property Buyers
A defective building is not a commercial negotiation in Türkiye — it is a statutory warranty regime. The seller answers for defects even without knowing of them, buildings carry their own five-year limitation period (twenty on gross fault), and a consumer buyer of a home gets a second layer on top.
Banking, Finance & TaxTurkish Banking Law Explained: The Statutes and the Four Regulators
Türkiye does not have a single financial conduct authority. Banking Law No. 5411 sits at the centre, four further statutes decide which regulator a given activity answers to, and supervision is split between the BDDK, the Central Bank, the Capital Markets Board and MASAK. This guide maps the statutes to the bodies that apply them, as at July 2026.
Disputes & EnforcementTurkish Criminal Procedure Explained
An educational walk-through of the two phases of Turkish criminal procedure under Law No. 5271 — from the prosecutor's investigation to the final appeal — written for readers unfamiliar with the system.
Banking, Finance & TaxTurkish Tax Law: The Statutes, the Rates and Who Administers Them
Turkish tax law is one procedural code plus a separate statute for each tax. This guide maps the system — which tax is governed by which law, who pays it, what the headline rate is for the current period, how assessment and audit work, and where a dispute goes.
Regulatory & SectoralHow to Sue a Hospital or Doctor in Türkiye: The Procedural Route
Everything in a Turkish medical malpractice claim follows from one fact — whether the provider was private or public. The two routes compared on forum, defendant, compulsory pre-step and time limits, the steps in order, the expert-report stage, and the procedural mistakes that end cases before the merits.
Regulatory & SectoralMedical Malpractice Compensation in Türkiye: The Heads of Damage and How Quantum Is Fixed
Turkish law sets no tariff and no scale for a malpractice award. The heads of pecuniary and non-pecuniary damage under the Code of Obligations, how expert evidence fixes quantum, what reduces an award, and from what date interest runs.
Regulatory & SectoralCosmetic Surgery Malpractice in Türkiye: Why an Aesthetic Procedure Is Judged Differently
A cosmetic procedure is not judged by the same rule as ordinary medical treatment. Where the aesthetic aspect predominates, the Turkish courts treat the relationship as a works contract, the surgeon guarantees the agreed result, and failure of that result is itself non-performance. The characterisation, the consent burden, the evidence and the foreign patient's position.
Regulatory & SectoralHair Transplant Complications in Türkiye: What Claim Exists, and Against Whom
A patient harmed by a hair transplant in Türkiye is not left with a complaint about a service — a dedicated Ministry of Health Regulation has governed hair transplant units since 6 May 2023, and it fixes where the procedure may be done and who may do each stage. What the Regulation requires, who the defendants are, the claim route, the documents that decide the file, and how the process works for a patient who has already flown home.
Regulatory & SectoralDental Malpractice in Türkiye: Characterisation, Forum and the Limitation Trap
A dental claim in Türkiye turns on what was promised. Ordinary treatment follows the mandate model; prosthetic work has been treated as a works contract, where a result is owed — and where the clock can run from delivery rather than from discovery.
Regulatory & SectoralMedical Tourism in Türkiye: A Legal Guide for Foreign Patients
The cross-border layer of a Turkish medical claim: jurisdiction and applicable law under MÖHUK, powers of attorney with apostille and certified translation, suing at home versus suing here, and the Ministry of Health authorisation framework in force since 26 April 2025.
Banking, Finance & TaxHow Foreign Companies Are Taxed in Türkiye: Rates, Withholding and Filing
A foreign investor's tax position turns on one distinction — full liability on worldwide income, or limited liability on Türkiye-source income only. The rates, the 15% dividend and branch-remittance withholding, the filing calendar and the treaty layer.
Regulatory & SectoralKVKK for Foreign Companies: What Türkiye Requires Beyond GDPR Compliance
A company already compliant with the GDPR is not compliant with Turkish law. KVKK and the GDPR compared on lawful bases, cross-border transfer, registration, breach notification and fines — plus the Turkish obligations with no European equivalent.
Disputes & EnforcementDebt Collection and Enforcement in Türkiye: How a Foreign Creditor Gets Paid
You do not need a judgment — or even a written contract — to start enforcement in Türkiye, but you do need to survive a seven-day objection window. The three enforcement routes, the deadlines that kill a file, and what a foreign judgment is worth here.
Corporate & CommercialLiaison Office, Branch or Subsidiary: How a Foreign Company Enters Türkiye
Before it forms a company, a foreign investor chooses a vehicle: a liaison office that cannot trade, a branch of the parent, or a Turkish subsidiary. This guide compares the three on legal status, tax and cost.
Employment & LaborEmploying Staff in Türkiye: A Complete Guide for Foreign Employers
The complete guide for a foreign company employing staff in Türkiye — contracts, working time and leave, termination and severance, the job-security regime, mandatory mediation and SGK.
Employment & LaborSeverance and Notice Pay in Türkiye: How Employer Indemnities Work
How severance (kıdem) and notice (ihbar) indemnities are triggered and calculated in Türkiye — eligibility, the per-year formula and the statutory ceiling.
Employment & LaborTerminating an Employee in Türkiye: Valid Reasons and Job Security
Just cause versus valid reason, the job-security regime, and the reinstatement route through mandatory mediation and the labour courts.
Employment & LaborEmployment Contracts in Türkiye: What Foreign Employers Must Get Right
Indefinite versus fixed-term, probation, enforceable non-compete clauses and remote work — the contract points foreign employers most often get wrong.
Employment & LaborWorking Time, Overtime and Annual Leave in Türkiye
The 45-hour week, overtime at 1.5×, night-work limits and the annual-leave tiers — the everyday rules that generate most labour claims.
Employment & LaborWorkplace Mediation and Labor Litigation in Türkiye: An Employer's Guide
Why almost every labour claim now starts with mandatory mediation, how the labour-court process runs, and how an employer's records decide the outcome.
International Trade & CustomsImporting Goods into Türkiye: A Customs Guide for Foreign Companies
How importing into Türkiye works — customs valuation and classification, duties and VAT, the documents you need, and the pitfalls that delay or cost importers.
International Trade & CustomsAnti-Dumping Duties in Türkiye: What Exporters Need to Know
How Türkiye runs anti-dumping investigations, how the duties are calculated, and how a foreign exporter can defend its position.
International Trade & CustomsTürkiye's Free Zones: Tax & Customs Advantages for Investors
The tax, customs and currency advantages of Türkiye's free zones under Law No. 3218 — and who they actually suit.
International Trade & CustomsThe Inward Processing Regime in Türkiye: Duty Relief for Manufacturers
How the inward processing regime lets manufacturers import inputs duty-free to make goods for export — and the compliance it demands.
Corporate & CommercialBuying Property in Türkiye as a Foreigner: A Practical Guide
A step-by-step guide for foreign buyers: who may acquire property under Article 35, the mandatory valuation report, title due diligence, taxes and the closing process.
Intellectual & Industrial PropertyTrademark Registration in Türkiye: A Foreign Owner's Guide
A practical guide to registering a trademark in Türkiye as a foreign owner — the first-to-file rule, the TÜRKPATENT and Madrid routes, the process, and the duty to actually use the mark.
Corporate & CommercialSetting Up a Company in Türkiye as a Foreigner
A practical guide for foreign investors forming a company in Türkiye — entity choice, minimum capital, the incorporation process and the points that most often catch newcomers.
Corporate & CommercialEnding a Distributorship in Türkiye: The Portfolio Indemnity Trap
Why terminating a Turkish distributor or agent can trigger a portfolio (goodwill) indemnity under Article 122 of the Commercial Code.
Corporate & CommercialShareholders' Agreements in Turkish Joint Ventures
Drag-along, tag-along, veto rights and deadlock — and where they collide with the Turkish Commercial Code.
Disputes & EnforcementEnforcing Foreign Arbitral Awards in Türkiye
How the New York Convention and the International Arbitration Law govern recognition of foreign awards in Türkiye.
Corporate & CommercialKonkordato: Financial Restructuring for Companies in Türkiye
How the concordat process under the Enforcement and Bankruptcy Law gives a distressed company breathing room from creditors.
Intellectual & Industrial PropertyA Paradigm Shift in Industrial Property Law: The 2025 Administrative Cancellation Regime
How TÜRKPATENT's new administrative cancellation mechanism and the 2025 regulation reshape trademark strategy.
Immigration & CitizenshipUnderstanding Deportation in Türkiye
Grounds for removal, entry bans under Law No. 6458, and how to challenge a deportation decision.
Disputes & EnforcementEnforcement of Foreign Judgments in Türkiye: Key Considerations
Recognition and enforcement under MÖHUK (Law No. 5718) — reciprocity, requirements and pitfalls.
Regulatory & SectoralUnderstanding Medical Malpractice Laws in Türkiye
Liability, limitation periods and compensation in Turkish medical negligence claims.
Corporate & CommercialNavigating Mergers & Acquisitions in the Turkish Corporate Sector
Deal drivers, market trends and lessons from landmark Turkish M&A transactions.
International Trade & CustomsCustoms Duty in Türkiye: A Comprehensive Guide
Customs Law No. 4458, duty types, valuation and penalties under the Anti-Smuggling Law.
Disputes & EnforcementMandatory Mediation in Turkish Law: An Overview
Where mediation is a precondition to litigation in employment and commercial disputes.
Regulatory & SectoralTürkiye's Rent Regulations: A Guide for Landlords and Tenants
Rent increase caps, TBK Arts. 344–345 and the balance of landlord and tenant rights.