Which one is you?
Four kinds of US clients call this desk. Each has a different path, and every path starts the same way: we read your documents and tell you, honestly, where you stand.
A Turkish company owes you money
Unpaid invoices, a broken contract, a US judgment or arbitral award you need to enforce.
Start here → 02 · Market entryYou're entering the Turkish market
Company setup, distribution and agency deals, M&A, protecting your brand.
Start here → 03 · Family & propertyInheriting or buying property in Türkiye
Inheritance, title deeds, buying safely, dual citizenship questions.
Start here → 04 · The bridgeYou want to know how this works
ApostilleApostilApostilleA certificate added to a public document in its own country so that it is accepted as genuine in Türkiye, without consular legalisation.Glossary →, power of attorney, time zones — the machinery, in plain terms.
See how →Owed money by a Turkish company?
Unpaid invoices do not improve with age — and an ocean in between makes them feel unrecoverable. Distance changes less than you might think. Turkish law gives a foreign creditor the same core tools it gives a local one: a formal notarized demand (ihtarname), enforcement proceedings through the state enforcement offices (icra, under the Enforcement and Bankruptcy Law No. 2004), and litigation or arbitration where the contract calls for it. Our debt collection and enforcement team runs these every week, and the guide on recovering debt from a Turkish company as a US business walks the whole sequence.
One question decides your fastest route: do you already have a US court judgment? If so, know that it is not automatically valid in Türkiye — it must go through a Turkish court first, and Turkish law splits this into two very different mechanisms:
| Enforcement (tenfiz) | Recognition (tanıma) | |
|---|---|---|
| What it gives you | The power to actually collect — seizure of assets through Turkish enforcement offices | Legal effect as proof in Türkiye |
| Legal basis | MÖHUK (Law No. 5718), arts. 50–57 | MÖHUK, art. 58 |
| Reciprocity required? | Yes (art. 54) — and the issuing US state can affect how it is assessed; it must be verified for your case | No |
| Merits re-tried? | No — the court checks conditions only: public policy, proper jurisdiction, proper service | No |
Holding an arbitral award instead? Often the smoother road: both the US and Türkiye are parties to the 1958 New York Convention, which gives foreign arbitral awards a settled enforcement path in Turkish courts, on narrower grounds for refusal than a court judgment. The full path is in our guide on enforcing a US arbitral award in Türkiye — and for court judgments, enforcing a US court judgment in Türkiye.
No judgment yet? If your contract points to Türkiye, we pursue the debt directly in the Turkish system from day one. And if you are still at the contract stage — a clear governing-law and dispute-resolution clause, or arbitration at the Istanbul Arbitration Centre (ISTAC), can spare you most of this chapter.
Holding a judgment or award right now? Send it for a review and we will tell you which route applies.
Entering the Turkish market?
The structure you choose on day one follows you for years: in tax, in liability, in how cleanly you can exit. Most US investors form a limited liability company (limited şirket) or a joint-stock company (anonim şirket) under the Turkish Commercial Code No. 6102; foreign shareholders are permitted, and formation runs through a Turkish notary, the trade registry and the tax office, largely by power of attorney, while you stay in the US.
Around the company itself, four things keep US businesses busy:
- Distribution and agency agreements with Turkish partners — drafted so termination, commission and compensation questions are settled before a dispute, not after, under the Turkish Code of Obligations No. 6098 and, for agency, the Turkish Commercial Code No. 6102.
- Commercial contracts with a governing-law and dispute-resolution clause that actually works across borders. See commercial contract law.
- M&A and share transfers, with real due diligence on the Turkish target — our corporate and M&A practice.
- Brand protection — registering your trademark in Türkiye and enforcing it against local copycats.
Start with company formation and the step-by-step guide to setting up a company in Türkiye as a US business, or read the groundwork first: legal considerations for US entrepreneurs in Türkiye and starting a business in Türkiye from the US. Getting the paperwork right at the entry stage is far cheaper than unwinding a bad structure later. And before you sign with — or wire money to — any Turkish partner, run the checks in due diligence on a Turkish company.
Inheriting or buying property in Türkiye with a US passport?
An apartment in Kadıköy from your grandmother. A share of a field nobody mentioned until the funeral. Property in Türkiye has a way of finding its heirs — usually with paperwork attached, in a language they don't read. All of it can be handled from the US through a lawyer holding your power of attorney.
- Inheriting Turkish property. Turkish succession runs under the Civil Code No. 4721 — including forced-heirship rules (saklı pay: reserved shares for close family that a will cannot simply write away). Where the estate crosses borders, Turkish private international law decides which country's law applies; real estate in Türkiye is generally governed by Turkish law. The practical spine: a certificate of inheritance (veraset ilamı), then title transfer. See the inheritance service and the guide for Americans inheriting property in Türkiye.
- Buying property — safely. Before a single dollar moves, the tapuTapuTitle deed / land registry recordThe official title deed and the state land-registry record behind it — the only thing that proves who owns real estate in Türkiye.Glossary → (title deed) record should be checked: true owner, mortgages, liens, annotations. Title due diligence is the core safeguard against a bad purchase. Our real estate team runs it, the full playbook is in buying property in Türkiye as an American, and a preliminary look starts with our risk-scan tools.
- Family matters with a Turkish connection — handled with sensitivity to both systems.
- Dual citizenship & military-service questions. Perennial Turkish-American topics with specific, answerable rules — see immigration and the overview of dual US and Turkish immigration law.
A boundary worth stating up front: personal-injury, medical and accident-compensation claims are handled by our sister practice, not this desk. If that is your matter, we will point you to the right team rather than take it here.
How does the US–Türkiye legal bridge work?
The two countries are legally well-connected — that connection is exactly what makes remote representation practical rather than hopeful. Four pieces of machinery do the work:
Apostille
Both the US and Türkiye are parties to the 1961 Hague Apostille Convention: a US document, once apostilled, is accepted in Türkiye — no consular legalization chain.
Power of attorney
Signed at a Turkish consulate in the US, or before your local notary + apostille. A scan starts the work; the original follows by mail.
We act in Türkiye
Filings, enforcement steps, registry work and court appearances — done on the ground by an Istanbul Bar attorney. Cross-border service of documents follows established channels.
English, on your clock
You work in English; Turkish filings and sworn translations happen on our side. Istanbul runs hours ahead: your matter moves while you sleep, calls land in your morning.
The paperwork side is smaller than it looks: our guides on granting a power of attorney for use in Türkiye and granting one from outside Türkiye show both routes, and the guide to hiring a lawyer in Türkiye from abroad walks the full remote engagement.
What does working with Lexin from the US actually look like?
- Send your documents. The contract, the invoice, the judgment, the deed, the will — whatever anchors your matter. A lawyer reads them and tells you in plain English where you stand and which paths are realistic.
- Sign a power of attorney. We prepare it in Turkish format, scoped to your matter. Consulate or notary+apostille — your choice.
- We act in Türkiye. Every filing, negotiation and appearance handled by an Istanbul Bar attorney on the ground.
- You stay informed. Updates at every real milestone: no black box, no chasing. Calls scheduled in your time zone's morning.
On fees: the basis for our fees goes into writing before we start, so you know how you are billed and what a stage costs — within the rules that govern Turkish attorneys. And if a matter is not worth pursuing, we will tell you that too. It saves your money and our time.
Ready when you are: send your documents for a review — you'll get a clear, honest read on your options in Türkiye.
Frequently asked questions
Can I hire a Turkish lawyer from the United States without traveling to Türkiye?
Yes. An English-speaking Turkish lawyer can run most matters remotely from the US using a notarized, apostilled power of attorney that authorizes your lawyer to act for you. You handle documents by email and calls by video; your attorney handles filings, registry work and court appearances in Türkiye. In-person travel is the exception, not the rule.
Can a US court judgment be enforced against a company or person in Türkiye?
Not automatically — it must first go through a Turkish court. To collect on the judgment you pursue enforcement (tenfiz) under the Private International Law and Procedure Law No. 5718 (MÖHUK), which requires reciprocity; recognition (tanıma) gives the judgment legal effect as proof and does not require reciprocity. The court does not re-try the merits; it checks conditions such as public policy, jurisdiction and proper service. Reciprocity is not uniform and the issuing US state can affect how it is assessed, so your specific case should be verified. An arbitral award often follows an easier route under the 1958 New York Convention.
I inherited property in Türkiye as a US citizen. How do I claim it from abroad?
Turkish inheritance is governed by the Civil Code No. 4721, including reserved-share (saklı pay) rules for close family, and real estate in Türkiye is generally subject to Turkish law. The usual steps are obtaining a certificate of inheritance (veraset ilamı) and transferring the title — both can be handled by a Turkish lawyer acting under your power of attorney while you remain in the US.
Do I need an apostille, and what is it?
An apostille is a certificate that makes a public document from one Hague Convention country valid in another without consular legalization. Both the US and Türkiye are parties, so US documents such as your power of attorney or corporate resolutions, once apostilled by the competent US authority, are accepted in Türkiye. Your lawyer will tell you exactly which documents need one.
How can a US company set up a business entity in Türkiye?
US businesses most commonly form a limited liability company (limited şirket) or a joint-stock company (anonim şirket) under the Turkish Commercial Code No. 6102. Foreign shareholders are permitted, and formation runs through a Turkish notary, the trade registry and the tax office — largely by power of attorney. Choosing the right structure and drafting contracts correctly at the start avoids costly problems later.
How do fees and communication work across the time-zone gap?
You work with us in English, and the basis for our fees goes into writing before we start, within the rules that govern Turkish attorneys. Istanbul is several hours ahead of US time zones, which usually helps: work advances in Türkiye during your night, and calls are scheduled for your morning. You receive an update at each real milestone rather than having to chase one.
