An unpaid invoice from a Turkish customer can usually be enforced without first suing. Turkish law lets a creditor start enforcement proceedings directly at an enforcement office (icra dairesi), and only go to court if the debtor objects. This guide walks through the process as it applies to a creditor based outside Türkiye.
1. What you need to start
- Power of attorney. Signed before a notary in your country and carrying an apostille (Türkiye and most European states are parties to the 1961 Hague Apostille Convention, so no consular legalisation is needed). It is then translated into Turkish by a sworn translator in Türkiye.
- The claim documents. Invoices, the contract or purchase orders, delivery evidence and correspondence. These are translated into Turkish. A complete file at the start makes any later court stage faster.
- Debtor details. The debtor's full trade name and, ideally, its tax number. We verify these against the Turkish trade registry before filing.
2. Payment order
We file the enforcement request and the office serves a payment order on the debtor. In ordinary proceedings the debtor has 7 days to pay or object. For claims based on cheques or promissory notes there is a faster track: 5 days to object, 10 days to pay.
A claim in euros or dollars can be enforced in that currency. The request shows the Turkish lira equivalent, but the creditor may ask to be paid at the exchange rate on the day of actual payment, which protects against currency depreciation during the proceedings.
3. If the debtor objects
An objection stops the proceeding. The creditor then has two routes:
- Removal of the objection before the enforcement court, available if the claim is based on a document whose signature the debtor acknowledged, a notarised document, or an official document. It must be filed within 6 months and is usually quicker.
- Annulment of the objection, a full lawsuit before the commercial court in which any evidence can be used. It must be filed within 1 year. For commercial money claims, mediation is mandatory before the lawsuit.
If the creditor wins the annulment case and the amount was clear from the outset, the court orders the debtor to pay compensation of at least 20% of the claim for objecting without justification. This is a strong lever in settlement talks.
4. Asset search and attachment
Once the proceeding is final, we search the debtor's assets through UYAP, the national e-justice network: land registry, vehicle registry and social security records showing current employers. Bank accounts, receivables from third parties, vehicles and real estate can then be attached and, if necessary, sold at public auction.
Where there is a risk that the debtor will move assets, a preliminary attachment order can be obtained from the court before the proceeding starts. See our guide on preliminary attachment.
5. Security for costs
Foreign claimants may be asked to provide security for costs. This requirement is waived under bilateral and multilateral treaties, including the 1954 Hague Convention on Civil Procedure, and on the basis of reciprocity. Whether a waiver applies is assessed for each creditor's country and legal form.
6. If you already have a judgment or award
A final judgment from a foreign court must be recognised and enforced by a Turkish court before it can be executed. The Turkish court does not re-examine the merits; it checks statutory conditions such as reciprocity, public policy and the debtor's right to be heard. Foreign arbitral awards are enforced under the 1958 New York Convention.
7. Following the file from abroad
We report each stage in English and give clients access to an online portal showing the status of every file, service of documents, attachments and collections.
Each case is different. This guide is general information and not legal advice.