Debt Collection in Turkey

Judicial debt recovery in Turkey.

Turkey has a civil law system, and it is based on codified laws. For example, the Turkish Civil Code has been amended by incorporating parts of mainly the Swiss Civil Code and the Code of Obligations as well as the German Commercial Code. The Administrative Code has similarities with the French and Turkish Penal Codes with an Italian counterpart.

Case law is taken into account when interpreting laws. Decisions of higher courts have an influence on lower courts to ensure consistency of jurisprudence.

Where do you take your Turkish debt collection case?

There are two different civil courts where a legal debt collection case can be heard. Which court to turn to in Turkey for your unpaid invoice depends somewhat on the circumstances of the individual case and where the debtor is located.

1. Peace Courts:

Peace Courts (Sulh Mahkemeleri): these are the lowest civil courts in Turkey. Disputes are decided by a single judge. There is at least one peace court in every Turkish district. Their jurisdiction includes all cases assigned to the court under the Civil Procedure Law and other laws.

2. The Civil Courts of First Instance:

The second form is “The Civil Courts of First Instance” (Asliye Hukuk Mahkemeleri): their jurisdiction covers all civil cases other than those assigned to the Courts of Peace.  There is one in each city and district, and is sometimes divided into several branches depending on need and necessity.

Within the scope of “civil courts of first instance”, there are specialised courts for certain areas of law:

• Cadastral courts
• Commercial courts
• Consumer courts
• Enforcement courts
• Family courts
• Intellectual and industrial property courts
• Labour courts.

This is how our debt collection service works.