How to give power of attorney in Turkey

What is a power of attorney in Turkey?

A power of attorney in Turkey is called a vekaletname. It authorises a named person, such as a lawyer, to carry out defined legal or administrative acts for the person granting it. It can help a foreign owner, heir, investor or defendant deal with Turkey without attending every appointment, but it does not turn every broad sentence into authority for every transaction.

The useful question is not only “Do I have a power of attorney?” It is “Does this document, in this form, give this representative the exact power that this Turkish authority will check?” The answer depends on the wording, identity details, execution route, translation and intended use.

Should you use a general or special power of attorney?

A general vekaletname gives broad authority for a range of acts. A special vekaletname identifies a particular transaction, property, court file or administrative task. The labels are practical descriptions, not a substitute for reading the powers written in the document.

Type	Typical use	Main point to check
General	Continuing authority for several defined legal and administrative acts	It may still need express property, litigation or payment powers
Special	One sale, purchase, inheritance transfer, lawsuit or application	The stated act, property and receiving authority must match
Limited instruction	A defined power combined with written client instructions	The representative must know what may and may not be done

A document that says “all matters” may be too vague for a title-deed transfer, mortgage, inheritance registration or court step. A document limited to one property may need to be reissued if the property or transaction changes. Before signing, ask the lawyer handling the file to list each act that the representative may perform and any act that requires your separate approval.

What must a property power of attorney contain?

TKGM’s official guidance and FAQ material should be checked alongside the notary’s current requirements. For a property transaction, the document should be prepared as an instrument for the intended Tapu Müdürlüğü (Land Registry Directorate) procedure, not as a generic authorisation copied from an unrelated file.

Check these elements before execution:

• Grantor’s identity: the full name and other identifying details must match the passport or identity document. Depending on the notary form and status, this can include nationality, passport or foreigner identity number, date and place of birth, address and the document used for identification.
• Photograph: a property-related notarial form may require the grantor’s photograph. Confirm how the photograph must be supplied and attached before signing; do not assume that a photograph on a passport copy automatically satisfies the current notary or land-registry format.
• Representative’s identity: give the agent’s full name and identifying information so the Tapu officer can match the person presenting the document. If the agent is a lawyer, the draft should identify the lawyer precisely rather than relying only on a business name.
• Property and transaction: include the available title-deed details and state whether the authority covers purchase, sale, transfer, mortgage, establishment or release of a right, inheritance registration, partition or another specific act.
• Ancillary powers: if the representative must obtain records, submit applications, pay charges, receive documents or collect sale proceeds, those powers should be considered expressly. A power to attend the Tapu office is not necessarily a power to receive money or sign every connected document.
• Formal execution: check the notary’s seal, signatures, date, pages, photograph and any translation or authentication statement before leaving the appointment.

TKGM’s FAQ also says that foreign buyers should check the current document list with the relevant Tapu Müdürlüğü. It identifies identity or passport documents and, for a sale involving a foreign national, a valuation report from an SPK-authorised valuation company. The FAQ says a translation may be requested for a non-Latin-script passport; it does not support a universal rule that every foreign buyer needs the same translation or a separate tax number for every transaction.

The property-law service in Fethiye can be linked to the POA draft before a sale or purchase. If the authority concerns a completed sale or a future disposal, also read how to sell property in Turkey so the power is matched to the wider transaction.

How do you make a power of attorney at a Turkish notary?

A person in Turkey generally prepares the wording, attends a Turkish notary and signs after the notary has checked identity and formal requirements. If the person cannot understand Turkish sufficiently, a sworn interpreter should be arranged for the appointment. The interpreter’s role is to communicate the document; it does not replace legal advice about whether the powers are suitable.

A practical sequence is:

1. Send the lawyer the intended transaction, property or court information and copies of identity documents.
2. Receive a draft or written list of powers and check names, passport spelling, addresses and property details.
3. Confirm with the notary whether a photograph, interpreter, additional identity evidence or a particular form is required.
4. Sign only after the Turkish text has been read and explained in the required manner.
5. Obtain the original and certified copies, then ask the receiving Tapu, court, bank or authority whether it needs a particular copy or translation.

A lawyer’s English summary does not itself make a Turkish notarial document valid. Conversely, a notary’s execution does not decide whether the chosen powers are commercially or legally sensible. Those are separate checks.

How can you give a power of attorney from abroad?

Two routes are common, subject to the current practice of the country and receiving institution.

Turkish consulate route

Ask the relevant Turkish consulate about its notarial appointment, identity documents, language arrangements and the exact draft it will accept. Prepare the Turkish wording before the appointment so the consular officer can check the intended act. A consulate-issued instrument follows the consulate’s formal process; confirm whether the receiving Tapu or court wants an original, copy or additional annotation.

Do not confuse a Turkish consulate with your own country’s honorary consulate. The UK officially lists an honorary consulate in Fethiye, while Dutch and Irish official pages list honorary consuls in Antalya. Honorary consulates have limited powers and appointment rules; they are not substitutes for a Turkish notary, immigration authority or Turkish lawyer. Check the relevant official mission before assuming it can execute a Turkish vekaletname.

Local notary and apostille route

You can ask a local notary in your country to authenticate your signature or document, then ask the competent authority there for an apostille where the Convention route applies. Türkiye is a party to the 1961 Hague Apostille Convention. That does not mean every document qualifies: the issuing country, document type and receiving authority determine whether an apostille is available and sufficient.

After the authenticated document reaches Turkey, arrange a sworn Turkish translation in the form accepted by the receiving authority. The apostille itself also needs to be translated where required. Keep the source document, apostille and translation together. A translation alone does not cure a missing apostille, an incorrect signature certification or authority wording that does not cover the transaction.

What if the power of attorney is for a court case?

A litigation vekaletname should identify the legal representation needed for the lawsuit, investigation, enforcement file or administrative proceeding. It may need express powers for procedural acts that have a final or binding effect, such as settlement, waiver, acknowledgement, receiving money or appointing another lawyer. The exact wording should be drafted for the case and checked against the court’s current filing practice.

Send the lawyer any summons, decision, case number, hearing date and service record before signing. A court may apply a short deadline even when the client is abroad. If the client cannot explain themselves adequately in Turkish during a criminal hearing, Turkish criminal procedure provides for a court-appointed interpreter in the circumstances set out in Articles 202 and 324; a separately chosen additional interpreter is treated differently. Legal representation, certified translation and court interpretation are different services.

For an inheritance file, link the authority to the succession work rather than assuming a property-only POA covers the estate. The inheritance and wills service explains why foreign heirs and Turkish property records may require a court or additional documents.

Can a power of attorney be used for banking or family matters?

Banks, tax offices and other institutions examine the authority relevant to their own procedure. A document allowing a representative to correspond with a bank may not allow withdrawals, account closure, transfer of funds or access to another person’s account. A spouse or eldest child does not automatically acquire power of attorney merely through the family relationship.

Use a narrow, explicit authority for sensitive financial acts. Confirm whether the institution wants its own form, a recent original, a Turkish translation or proof of the representative’s identity. The foreign-client process explains how to coordinate these checks while you are outside Turkey.

How do you revoke a Turkish power of attorney?

Ask a notary about an azilname, the usual revocation instrument, and give written notice to the representative and any institution that may rely on the original vekaletname. Notify the Tapu Müdürlüğü, bank, court or other authority where the document has been presented, keeping proof of delivery.

Notary Law No. 1512, Article 81 states that, after a notarial transaction is completed, its change, termination or cancellation is made by a new transaction in the same manner. The new transaction’s date and number are recorded on the earlier paper. If the new transaction is made at another notary, that notary sends a copy with the necessary explanation to the office that handled the first transaction. Ask the notary whether the same route applies to the document and revocation you need.

Revocation does not by itself resolve an act already completed under the authority. If a property, bank or court step has already occurred, preserve the original POA, notices, delivery evidence and transaction record and obtain case-specific advice promptly.

What does a power of attorney cost in Turkey?

The total cost can include:

• Turkish notary charges and certified copies;
• a sworn interpreter at a Turkish notary, where required;
• local-notary and apostille charges abroad;
• sworn Turkish translation and notarial certification of the translation;
• courier, consular or document-handling expenses; and
• the lawyer’s separate fee for drafting, checking, attending or using the POA.

These are not one universal “notary fee”. They vary with document length, signatures, language, jurisdiction, number of copies and intended use. Ask for a written scope that states which work is included and which public charges remain separate. Do not rely on an old online fee figure; confirm the current tariff with the relevant notary or authority before booking.

A carefully prepared vekaletname can reduce the risk of a rejected document, but no draft guarantees that a receiving institution will accept it without checking its current requirements. For a Fethiye property, inheritance or court matter, send the intended use and location with the first message so the document can be prepared for the correct Turkish procedure.