Commercial & Corporate Law

Commercial law covers relations between merchants and companies, the formation and management of companies, negotiable instruments (cheques and promissory notes) and commercial contracts. The principal legislation is the Turkish Commercial Code No. 6102.

Limited liability companies (limited şirket) and joint-stock companies (anonim şirket) come into existence by registration with the trade registry. Under the Foreign Direct Investment Law No. 4875, foreign individuals and legal entities may establish companies in Türkiye on the same terms as Turkish nationals; typical steps include obtaining a Turkish tax number, notarised and apostilled documents from abroad, and opening a bank account for the capital.

For commercial claims concerning the payment of a sum of money, mediation is mandatory before a lawsuit can be filed (Commercial Code Art. 5/A).