Laws in Turkey

  • How to marry in Turkey if you are a foreigner?

    Only civil marriages are registered in Turkey legally. You can have a religious ceremony if you want but it will have no legal power in Turkey. The Turkish legislation allows to perform marriage between two foreigners as well as between a Turk and a foreigner. A Turk and a foreigner and two foreigners need to marry in the competent Turkish...

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  • Labor legislation in Turkey

    If you are planning to work in Turkey, it will be very useful to study the Turkish labor legislation. The general terms of employment are regulated by the Constitution, the Labor Law and other acts. Some special terms can be regulated by the employment contract. Employment contracts do not exempt from any taxes and fees. Accepted by the law form...

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  • Registering a birth in Turkey

    According to the Turkish Family law, parents should register a birth of their child within 30 days from the date of the birth at the local Population Registry Office. If the parents are unable to do this, someone who attended the birth can register. The documents required for the birth registration: application form residency or identity...

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  • Turkish divorce procedure

    Turkey recognizes only those marriages, which are registered at a local Vital Statistics office. And if spouses decide to divorce they need to get a Turkish court decision. The divorce decisions obtained in other countries are not recognized by the Turkish court. WHAT CAN BE A GROUND FOR a DIVORCE IN TURKEY? According to the Turkish family...

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  • Turkish Civil Code

    in 1926 after the country became a democratic country. At the time, the Swiss Civil Code was one of the most progressive ones. The adoption of this code had a great impact on the country and the life of the citizens. It led to the break with traditional Muslim way of life. The most important changes were held in the family legislation. According...

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  • Turkish penal code

    In 2004 a new version of the Penal Code in Turkey was adopted. This version contains the important changes, which were aimed at modernization of the Turkish Criminal Code and making it Europe-oriented. The new Penal Code had a great impact on the traditional Turkish way of life. The main changes are the following: FAMILY SPHERE Couples who have...

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  • Turkish constitution

    The Constitution of the Republic of Turkey is the standard-setting instrument in the country. The current Constitution is already the fourth in the Turkish history. It was established on November 7, 1982 by the national referendum. The first part explains the key notions, such as the structure and form of the government, the sovereignty, the...

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  • Turkish law on foreigners and international protection

    The migration policy in Turkey is regulated by the Law on Foreigners and International Protection, which was adopted on April 04, 2013. This law covers the following topics: crossing the state border of Turkey by foreigners (document requirements for passport, visa and residence permit); terms and conditions of visa and visa-free staying in...

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  • Legal system in Turkey

    The legal system of Turkey is based on the legal systems of the European countries such as Germany, Italy and Switzerland. It is regulated by the Constitution and numerous laws, acts, etc. According to the Constitution, international acts and agreements have also legal power. They cannot be challenged in the Constitutional court. The Constitutional...

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  • Turkish Property Law

    A new edition of the Turkish Property Law was established on August 1, 2012. According to this new edition, the reciprocity principle that allowed foreigners to buy property in Turkey only if Turks could buy property in their countries was canceled. Citizens from 183 countries can buy properties in Turkey. Now foreigners-individuals are allowed to...

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If you are going to stay in Turkey for a long period and buy a property, get married, open your business or seek employment, then you need to know the main Turkish laws. However, it is also important to know the Turkish legislation to avoid getting into a trouble even if you are a tourist and you are going to spend just one or two weeks in the country.

The laws in Turkey that control everyday life of its citizens do not actually differ greatly from the laws in other countries. However, there are some peculiarities, which you should better know in advance. For instance, it is forbidden to smoke in the street, all public places and public transport, otherwise you will be fined. The mount of Ararat is a special military zone and you cannot even take photos of this mountain.

But special attention should be given to the laws, which for example describe the procedure of buying property in Turkey, marriage and divorce procedures, employment procedure and taxation system. This is particularly important because there can be differences for locals and for foreigners.

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