Recognition, Enforcement and Private International Law
Giving Foreign Court and Arbitral Awards and Foreign Civil Status and Official Documents Legal Effect in Türkiye
Canaydın Law Firm provides advisory and representation services in legal processes concerning the recognition, enforcement (tenfiz) and execution of foreign court and arbitral awards in Türkiye, and the use in Türkiye of civil status and official documents issued abroad.
In each file, the nature of the foreign judgment or document, whether it has become final, the legal effect that is sought in Türkiye, and the route to follow before the court, the population directorate or another competent authority are assessed together.
- Review of Foreign Judgments
- Recognition and Enforcement
- Population and Civil Status Procedures
- Enforcement in Türkiye
Recognition, Enforcement and Private International Law Services
01 — Recognition and Enforcement
The route to follow for a foreign court or arbitral award to produce effect and legal consequences in Türkiye, or to be enforced, is determined by the content of the award and the result sought in Türkiye.
Explore Recognition and Enforcement Procedures
02 — Civil Status and Population Procedures
The administrative and legal procedures necessary for marriages, births, divorces and other civil status events that took place abroad to be entered in the population records in Türkiye, or for foreign official documents to be used before the Turkish authorities, are carried out.
- Registration in Türkiye of a marriage conducted abroad
- Registration of a birth that took place abroad
- Recognition of foreign divorce judgments or their entry into the population records
- Correcting discrepancies in name, surname and civil status records
- Coordination of apostille, translation and consular certification procedures
Recognition, Enforcement or Population Registration?
What Do We Look At When Reviewing a Foreign Judgment or Document?
What We Do for You
Determining the Legal Route
The procedure through which the foreign judgment or document can take effect in Türkiye is assessed.
Review of Judgments and Documents
The finality, notification, content and usability of the judgment, together with the supporting documents, are reviewed.
Coordination of Apostille, Certification and Translation
The apostille, consular certification and translation processes for using foreign judgments and official documents in Türkiye are coordinated.
Recognition and Enforcement Lawsuits
Where necessary, recognition and enforcement lawsuits are filed and followed up before the Turkish courts.
Population and Civil Status Procedures
In suitable files, the applications necessary to enter marriages, births, divorces and other civil status events in the population records are carried out.
Enforcement After Recognition
The enforcement procedures necessary to execute foreign judgments enforced in Türkiye are carried out separately.
How the Process Works
- 01
Review of the Foreign Judgment or Document
The nature of the judgment or official document, whether it has become final, and the procedure sought in Türkiye are assessed.
- 02
Determining the Appropriate Legal Route
It is determined whether recognition, enforcement, direct population registration or another administrative procedure is required.
- 03
Preparing the Document Plan
The original judgment, the certificate of finality, the notification documents, and the need for apostille/certification and translation are planned according to the file.
- 04
Conducting the Application or Lawsuit
The process is initiated and followed up before the competent court, population directorate or other authority.
- 05
Entering the Judgment into the Records or Enforcing It in Türkiye
After the recognition/enforcement or registration procedure is completed, the necessary population, enforcement or other implementation procedures are carried out.
- 06
Completing Subsequent Procedures
Enforcement, record corrections, document procurement or other related procedures are completed according to the outcome of the file.
The Same Procedure Does Not Apply to Every Foreign Judgment
A foreign divorce judgment, a commercial receivable judgment, a custody or alimony judgment, an arbitral award and a foreign civil status document are not subject to the same procedure. For this reason, the mere fact that a document was issued in a foreign country does not mean that it automatically acquires effect or enforceability in Türkiye. Depending on the nature of the file, a court judgment, administrative registration, apostille/certification, translation or enforcement procedures must be planned together.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Is a divorce judgment issued abroad automatically valid in Türkiye?
For a foreign divorce judgment to affect the population record and other legal consequences in Türkiye, administrative registration or a recognition/enforcement process may be required, depending on the nature of the judgment.
Can foreign custody, alimony or property division judgments be applied in Türkiye?
The conditions for recognition or enforcement are assessed according to the content of the judgment, whether it has become final, and the result sought in Türkiye.
Can foreign arbitral awards be enforced in Türkiye?
Within the framework of the applicable international conventions and Turkish private international law rules, the recognition/enforcement of foreign arbitral awards and their subsequent execution may be possible.
How is a marriage or birth that took place abroad entered in the population records in Türkiye?
Depending on the country where the foreign official document was issued, the form of its certification and the type of population procedure, apostille/consular certification, translation and the relevant population application are coordinated.