Short answer
Debt collection in Turkey usually starts with an enforcement file at the enforcement office (icra dairesi), without a court judgment; the debtor has 7 days to object. If the debtor objects, you must remove the objection in court, and a commercial money lawsuit needs mediation first. A foreign judgment needs an enforcement decision (tenfiz) from a Turkish court.
In this article
Your Turkish buyer stopped paying, or a developer kept your deposit. Debt collection in Turkey is possible for foreign creditors, and most of it can be run from abroad through a local lawyer. The rules are in the Enforcement and Bankruptcy Law No. 2004 (İcra ve İflas Kanunu, İİK), which applies to foreign and Turkish creditors alike.
This guide covers the right route for your claim, debtor objections, foreign judgments and the documents needed in Türkiye (Turkey). For an overview of the field, see our page on enforcement and bankruptcy law.
Which debt collection route fits your claim?
| Your situation | Route | Key point |
|---|---|---|
| Unpaid invoice, contract price or loan, no judgment | Enforcement without a judgment (ilamsız takip) | The debtor may object within 7 days of the payment order (İİK Art. 62) |
| You hold a cheque, promissory note or bill of exchange | Enforcement based on negotiable instruments (kambiyo senetlerine dayalı takip) | Objections go to the enforcement court within 5 days (İİK Art. 168) |
| You won a court case in your home country | Enforcement decision (tenfiz), then enforcement as a Turkish judgment | Reciprocity with your country is required (MÖHUK Art. 54) |
| You hold an arbitral award | Enforcement of the award (MÖHUK Art. 60 ff.) | The New York Convention also applies |
| Your tenant left with unpaid rent | Enforcement for rent, possibly with eviction | See our guide on a tenant not paying rent in Turkey |
How does enforcement without a judgment work?
This is the usual starting point: no lawsuit is needed first.
Enforcement without a judgment, step by step
Prepare evidence and a power of attorney
Collect the contract, invoices, delivery documents and correspondence, and authorise a Turkish lawyer.
File the enforcement request
The request, written, oral or electronic, states the amount in Turkish lira and, for a foreign-currency claim, the date of the exchange rate used. A creditor living abroad gives an address in Türkiye, usually the lawyer's; otherwise the enforcement office counts as the creditor's address (İİK Art. 58).
Payment order
The office issues a payment order (ödeme emri). The debtor has 7 days from service to pay or object (İİK Art. 60, 62).
No objection: attachment
If the debtor neither pays nor objects, you can have bank accounts, receivables, vehicles and real estate attached (haciz).
Objection: the file stops
A timely objection stops the enforcement (İİK Art. 66).
You advance the costs of the steps you request, but enforcement costs are ultimately borne by the debtor (İİK Art. 59).
What happens if the Turkish debtor objects?
If your claim rests on a signed debt acknowledgment that the debtor admits, a notarised acknowledgment, or an official document, you can ask the enforcement court to remove the objection within 6 months (İİK Art. 68). Otherwise, you file a lawsuit to annul the objection (itirazın iptali davası) within 1 year of being notified of it (İİK Art. 67).
If the court finds the objection unjustified, it may order the debtor, on your request, to pay enforcement denial compensation (icra inkar tazminatı) of at least 20% of the amount awarded (İİK Art. 67). A creditor who enforced unjustly and in bad faith can be ordered to pay the same. In court practice, this compensation usually requires that the amount of the claim was clear or easy to calculate, which is assessed case by case.
In commercial cases (ticari dava) about money, including the lawsuit to annul an objection, applying to a mediator first is a precondition for the lawsuit (TTK Art. 5/A). Mediation lasts up to 6 weeks, extendable by 2 weeks. It is not needed to open the enforcement file itself. Lease and consumer disputes follow their own mediation rules.
A Turkish court may require a foreign claimant or enforcing creditor to give security for costs, unless it exempts you on the basis of reciprocity (MÖHUK Art. 48) or an applicable treaty does. If the debtor may move assets, you can ask the court for a precautionary attachment (ihtiyati haciz) of a due, unsecured money claim (İİK Art. 257).
Can you enforce a foreign judgment in Turkey?
Yes, but not directly. A final civil judgment from a foreign court can be enforced only after a Turkish court grants an enforcement decision (MÖHUK Art. 50). The competent court is the court of first instance (asliye mahkemesi) at the debtor's domicile in Türkiye, or else where the debtor resides; if there is neither, a court in Ankara, İstanbul or İzmir (Art. 51). The same system applies to foreign divorce judgments.
- Reciprocity: a treaty, a law or actual practice in the judgment country that allows Turkish judgments to be enforced there (Art. 54/a).
- Jurisdiction: the case must not fall within the exclusive jurisdiction of Turkish courts.
- Public order: the judgment must not be manifestly contrary to Turkish public order.
- Right to be heard: if the debtor objects, the court checks whether the debtor was duly summoned and represented abroad.
Once granted, the foreign judgment is enforced like a Turkish one (Art. 57). Note that an appeal against the enforcement decision suspends enforcement (Art. 57/2). Foreign arbitral awards follow a separate procedure under MÖHUK Art. 60 ff. and the New York Convention, to which Türkiye is a party.
Which documents do foreign creditors need?
Typical document list
- Power of attorney for a Turkish lawyerSigned at a Turkish consulate, or before a notary abroad with an apostille (or consular legalisation) and a sworn Turkish translation. See our power of attorney guide.
- Company documentsFor a company creditor: a registry extract or certificate showing who may sign, apostilled and translated.
- Evidence of the debtContract, invoices, delivery documents, account statements and any email in which the debtor accepts the debt.
- Foreign judgment fileA certified copy of the judgment and proof that it is final, both certified by the foreign authorities, with certified translations (MÖHUK Art. 53).
- Turkish tax numberİİK Art. 58 asks for the creditor's Turkish identity or tax number only where one exists. In practice, foreign parties are often asked for a Turkish tax number, for example at the notary; your lawyer can usually obtain one.
What deadlines and mistakes should you watch?
As a rule, claims become time-barred after 10 years (TBK Art. 146). Periodic payments such as rent and interest, and claims from agency, commission and works contracts, are limited to 5 years (Art. 147). If you miss the 1-year period, you can still bring an ordinary lawsuit (İİK Art. 67), but you lose the enforcement file's advantages.
- Foreign-currency claims: unless the contract requires payment in the foreign currency itself, the debtor may pay in lira; after default, you may ask for payment in the currency or in lira at the due-date or payment-date rate (TBK Art. 99).
- No asset check: an enforcement file is of little use if the debtor has nothing to attach.
Whether collection succeeds depends on your documents and on the debtor's assets. For your specific claim, individual legal advice is recommended.
Frequently asked questions
Can a foreign company collect a debt in Turkey without going there?
Yes. A foreign creditor can open and follow an enforcement file from abroad through a Turkish lawyer holding a power of attorney signed at a consulate or apostilled. The enforcement request must state an address in Türkiye, usually the lawyer's office; otherwise the enforcement office itself counts as your address under İİK Article 58.
How long does a Turkish debtor have to object to a payment order?
In ordinary enforcement without a judgment, the debtor has 7 days from service of the payment order to object (İİK Article 62), and the objection stops the file. For cheques, promissory notes and bills of exchange, objections go to the enforcement court within 5 days, and enforcement continues unless the court suspends it. You then decide how to remove the objection.
Do I need a judgment from my country before collecting in Turkey?
No. You can start enforcement without a judgment on the basis of contracts and invoices. If you already have a final foreign judgment, it can be enforced only after a Turkish court grants an enforcement decision (tenfiz), which requires reciprocity between Türkiye and your country. Arbitral awards are enforced under the New York Convention rules.
Is mediation mandatory before suing a Turkish company?
Yes, if the dispute is a commercial case about money. Before a lawsuit to collect, or to annul the debtor's objection, you must apply to a mediator (Turkish Commercial Code Article 5/A). Mediation lasts up to 6 weeks plus 2, and limitation periods are suspended meanwhile. Opening an enforcement file needs no mediation. If mediation fails, you sue with the final report.
How long do I have to collect a debt in Turkey?
The general limitation period is 10 years (Turkish Code of Obligations Article 146), and 5 years for periodic payments such as rent and interest and certain commercial claims (Article 147). Separate deadlines apply inside enforcement: 1 year to sue for annulment of an objection and 6 months to ask for removal of an objection with qualifying documents.
Sources
- Legislation Enforcement and Bankruptcy Law No. 2004 (İcra ve İflas Kanunu), Art. 58–68, 168, 257
- Legislation Law No. 5718 on Private International Law and International Civil Procedure (MÖHUK), Art. 48, 50–60
- Legislation Turkish Commercial Code No. 6102 (Türk Ticaret Kanunu), Art. 5/A
- Legislation Turkish Code of Obligations No. 6098 (Türk Borçlar Kanunu), Art. 99, 146, 147