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Power of Attorney for Turkey: How to Give One from Abroad and What It Must Say

By Av. Talha Yayla · October 24, 2026 · 14 min read

You do not have to travel to Turkey (Türkiye) to buy or sell property, file a lawsuit, divorce, set up a company or collect an inheritance. A representative can act for you under a power of attorney (vekâletname), which can be made in three ways: before a notary in Turkey, at a Turkish consulate abroad, or before a foreign notary with an apostille and a certified Turkish translation. Turkish consuls perform notarial functions abroad (Notary Law No. 1512, Art. 191). Powers of attorney for transactions at the land registry must be drawn up by the notary in the formal "drafted" form (Art. 89), and certain acts — selling real estate, suing, settling, donating — require express authority in the text (Turkish Code of Obligations No. 6098, Art. 504).

A power of attorney is also the most frequently abused document in dealings between foreigners and their agents in Turkey. This guide explains how to make one that will be accepted, what must be written into it for each purpose, how to limit it, and how to revoke it.

Three routes: Turkish notary; Turkish consulate; foreign notary plus apostille or consular legalisation, with sworn translation.
Land registry transactions: notarially drafted form, with photograph (Notary Law Art. 89).
Express authority required to: sue, settle, arbitrate, donate, give guarantees, transfer or encumber real estate (TCO Art. 504).
Lawyers: a notarised power of attorney is required to act in court (Civil Procedure Code Art. 76); special authority for settlement, waiver and acceptance (Art. 74).
Revocation: at any time; the right cannot be waived in advance (TCO Art. 42, 512).
Third parties: revocation must be communicated to those who were told of the authority (Art. 42).
Death: ends the authority, unless otherwise agreed or required by the nature of the business (Art. 43, 513).
Language: a sworn interpreter is required if the grantor does not know Turkish.

Legal status of this guide. It reflects the Code of Obligations, the Notary Law and the Civil Procedure Code as in force. Document requirements at land registries, banks and trade registries are set by their own circulars and change; confirm the wording required for your transaction before signing. Last updated: October 2026.

What a power of attorney does

The legal effect of a transaction made by an authorised representative in the name and on behalf of another binds the represented person directly (TCO Art. 40). If your agent signs a sale deed at the land registry under a valid power of attorney, you have sold; if the agent accepts a settlement in court with authority to settle, you have settled. You cannot later say you would have decided differently.

The document therefore does two things: it defines what the agent may do, and it tells third parties — the land registry, the bank, the court — that they may rely on the agent. The second function is why the wording matters more than what you agreed privately. Limits that are not in the text do not bind a third party acting in good faith.

Three ways to make one

Route	How it works	Best for
Notary in Turkey	Attend any notary with your passport (with notarised translation if required), tax number or foreigner identity number, photographs for property powers, and a sworn interpreter if you do not speak Turkish.	Anyone visiting Turkey, even briefly. The cheapest and least contested route.
Turkish consulate abroad	Book an appointment at the consulate or embassy consular section. The consul acts as notary and issues the document in Turkish in the form used in Turkey. It needs no apostille.	Those living abroad near a Turkish mission. The document is accepted in Turkey as issued.
Foreign notary	Sign before a local notary; obtain an apostille (or, for non-Apostille countries, legalisation by the Turkish consulate); have the document and apostille translated by a sworn translator in Turkey and the translation certified by a Turkish notary.	Those far from a Turkish mission. Workable, but the text must match Turkish requirements exactly.

Official documents prepared by foreign authorities have that status in Turkey when certified by the competent authority of the issuing state or by the Turkish consulate, subject to the international conventions to which Turkey is party (Civil Procedure Code Art. 224). Turkey is party to the Hague Apostille Convention, so between member states the apostille replaces consular legalisation. For other countries, the signature and seal of the foreign authority are certified by the Turkish consul (Notary Law Art. 195).

Making the foreign-notary route work

Use a Turkish draft. Ask your lawyer in Turkey for the exact text. Powers of attorney written in a foreign notary's standard general form are routinely rejected by land registries because the specific authorities are missing.
Bilingual text. A two-column Turkish and local-language document avoids translation disputes.
Drafted, not merely witnessed. For property transactions the foreign notary should draw up the instrument and attest to its content, not simply certify a signature. Where the local system knows only signature certification, use the consulate instead.
Photograph. Property powers must carry the grantor's photograph, sealed by the notary.
Identity details. Full name as in the passport, passport number, date and place of birth, parents' names where available, and the Turkish tax number or foreigner identity number.

Certified or drafted form

Turkish notaries act in two ways. In certification (onaylama), you bring a text and the notary certifies that the signature is yours. In drafting (düzenleme), the notary records your declaration in a formal minute containing the notary's identity, the place and date, the identities of those present, your declared intention and the signatures; the original stays in the notary's archive and you receive copies (Notary Law Art. 84).

Article 89 requires the drafted form for contracts and powers of attorney that by their nature call for a transaction at the land registry, as well as for wills, promises to sell real estate, marriage contracts, adoption and recognition of a child, and inheritance partition agreements. A power of attorney to buy, sell, mortgage or otherwise deal with real estate that is merely signature-certified will not be accepted.

For most other purposes — litigation, company matters, tax and residence procedures — either form is accepted, but the drafted form is standard practice and safer.

If you do not speak Turkish

The notary must be satisfied that you understand what you are signing. Where the grantor does not know Turkish, a sworn interpreter takes part and signs the instrument. This is a protection, not a formality: insist that the whole text is translated to you aloud, and do not use an interpreter supplied by the person who will receive the power.

Acts that need express authority

The scope of an agency is determined by the nature of the business if not expressly stated, and includes the legal acts necessary to carry it out. But the Code of Obligations lists acts that an agent cannot perform unless specially authorised (Art. 504):

filing a lawsuit;
settling;
submitting to arbitration;
applying for bankruptcy, its postponement or a composition with creditors;
undertaking obligations on bills of exchange;
making a donation;
giving a guarantee (suretyship);
transferring real estate or encumbering it with a right.

A "general power of attorney" in the everyday sense — authority to do everything — therefore does not exist in Turkish law unless each of these is spelled out. In practice, institutions go further and look for the specific transaction: the land registry wants to see "to sell", "to buy", "to establish a mortgage" as separate authorities; banks want account opening, withdrawal and transfer listed; the trade registry wants company formation or share transfer named.

Certain personal acts require a power of attorney specific to that act. The most important is divorce: a lawyer needs a special power expressly authorising the divorce case, bearing the client's photograph. Recognition of a child, adoption and making a will are personal acts that cannot be delegated in the ordinary way.

Wording by purpose

Purpose	What the text should contain
Buying property	Authority to purchase, in drafted form with photograph; the province or the specific property; authority to sign at the land registry, to obtain the tax number, valuation report and earthquake insurance, to pay and receive receipts, to subscribe utilities. Add a maximum price if you wish to limit it.
Selling property	Authority to sell, identifying the property by province, district, block and parcel; whether the agent may receive the price; whether the agent may sell "to whomever and at whatever price he wishes" — the standard phrase, and the dangerous one. A minimum price or named buyer can be written in.
Litigation	The lawyer's standard general power, plus the special authorities needed (below).
Divorce	Special authority naming the divorce case, with photograph; authority to conclude an uncontested-divorce protocol if relevant.
Inheritance	Authority to obtain the certificate of inheritance, to register inherited property, to accept or renounce the inheritance, to partition and to sell inherited shares.
Company	Authority to form a named type of company, to sign articles of association at the trade registry, to subscribe capital, to represent the shareholder at general assemblies, to transfer shares.
Banking	Authority to open and operate accounts, with limits. Banks often insist on their own form.
Residence and citizenship files	Authority to file and follow applications before the migration, civil registry and other authorities. Some steps — biometrics, interviews — still require personal attendance.

The underlying transactions are explained in our guides to buying property in Turkey as a foreigner, inheritance in Turkey, divorce in Turkey and setting up a company in Turkey.

Passports lying on a stack of papers — Read the Turkish text through your own interpreter. Limits that are not written in the document do not bind third parties.

Powers of attorney for lawyers

A lawyer must file, in each case, the original or a certified copy of a power of attorney certified or drawn up by a notary (Civil Procedure Code Art. 76). The standard text authorises the lawyer to represent the client before all courts and authorities. Unless expressly authorised, however, a lawyer cannot (Art. 74), among other things:

settle the case;
waive the claim or the right of appeal;
accept the opponent's claim or release the opponent;
appoint another lawyer in his or her place;
conclude an arbitration agreement;
resort to alternative dispute resolution, including mediation;
lift an attachment;
offer, accept or refuse an oath.

For a client abroad these special authorities are usually necessary, because mediation is a mandatory first step in labour, commercial and consumer disputes and the lawyer must be able to attend and conclude it. Whether to include authority to receive money ("ahzu kabz") is a matter of choice: with it, judgment sums can be paid to the lawyer's client account; without it, payment must be made to you directly. Either is workable; decide deliberately.

A power of attorney given to a lawyer is not tied to a single case unless you limit it. It can be restricted to a named matter, and it can be revoked.

Risks and how to limit them

The cases that reach us follow a pattern. A foreign buyer gives an estate agent, a developer's employee, a translator or a new acquaintance a broad power "to make the purchase easier". The text, in Turkish, includes authority to sell, to mortgage and to receive money. Months later the property has been sold on, or was never registered in the buyer's name, or a mortgage has appeared.

Protect yourself with the text.

Give the power to a professional who is accountable. A lawyer is subject to bar discipline and professional rules. An estate agent or seller has a conflict of interest by definition.
Never give the seller, the developer or their staff a power to act for you.
Separate buying from selling. A power to buy should not contain authority to sell, mortgage or donate. If you later wish to sell, make a new one.
Name the property rather than authorising dealings with "all real estate anywhere in Turkey".
Set limits: a maximum purchase price, a minimum sale price, a named buyer, payment only to your bank account.
Exclude sub-delegation unless needed. The authority to appoint a substitute lets your agent hand your powers to someone you have never met.
Set an expiry date. A power of attorney is not time-limited by law, but you can write in a term; institutions may also query very old powers.
Read the Turkish text through your own interpreter before signing, and keep a copy.
Follow up. Ask for the title deed, the land registry record and bank receipts after each transaction.

Need a power of attorney for a Turkish transaction, or worried about one you have already signed? Send us the purpose, or a copy of the document. Message Yayla Law on WhatsApp or use the contact form. We prepare bilingual drafts accepted by consulates and foreign notaries.

Revocation and expiry

The represented person may limit or withdraw an authority arising from a legal act at any time, and cannot waive this right in advance (TCO Art. 42). A clause calling the power "irrevocable" does not prevent revocation, although revoking in breach of an underlying contract can give rise to a claim for damages (Art. 512).

How to revoke

Make a revocation (azilname) before a notary in Turkey or at a Turkish consulate, identifying the original power by notary, date and journal number.
Have it served on the agent. The notary sends it; revocation takes effect towards the agent on receipt.
Notify third parties. If you communicated the authority to third parties, expressly or impliedly, you cannot rely on its withdrawal against those who act in good faith unless you have also told them (Art. 42). For a property power, notify the land registry directorate where the property is registered; for banking, the bank; for a case, the court file.
Recover the document where possible.

Notarial powers of attorney and revocations are recorded in the notaries' central electronic system, which land registries consult. Notification remains prudent: do not rely on the system alone where a valuable asset is at stake.

Automatic termination

Unless otherwise agreed or implied by the nature of the business, the authority ends on the death, loss of capacity or bankruptcy of either the principal or the agent (Art. 43, 513). Acts done by the agent before learning of the termination still bind the principal or the heirs as if the relationship continued (Art. 514). A power of attorney is therefore not a substitute for a will: it cannot be used to transfer your property after your death. See our guide to inheritance law in Turkey for foreigners.

If the agent abuses the power

An agent must follow the principal's instructions and act loyally in the principal's interest. Where an agent has used a power against that interest — selling at a fraction of the value, selling to a relative or associate, keeping the price — several remedies are available.

Cancellation of title and re-registration. Turkish courts treat a transfer made by an agent in abuse of authority as not binding on the principal where the buyer knew, or should have known, of the abuse — typically where the buyer is connected to the agent or the price was obviously too low. The claim is brought against the current registered owner, with a request for an interim injunction on the title to prevent further transfer.
Compensation. Where the property has passed to a buyer in good faith and cannot be recovered, the claim is for its value against the agent.
Account and restitution. The agent must account for what was received and hand it over.
Criminal complaint. Abuse of trust and, where deception was used to obtain the power, fraud. See our guide to filing a fraud complaint in Turkey.

Speed matters: an injunction on the title before the property moves again is often the difference between recovering the property and holding a judgment against an agent with no assets.

Checklist

Decide the exact transaction and ask the recipient institution or your lawyer for the required wording.
Choose the route: Turkish notary, consulate, or foreign notary with apostille.
Obtain a Turkish tax number if you do not have one.
Prepare passport, photographs and, for a company, corporate documents.
List the authorities one by one; delete those you do not need.
Add limits: property, price, payee, term, no sub-delegation.
Have the text interpreted to you by an independent sworn interpreter.
For a foreign document: apostille, sworn translation, notarisation of the translation in Turkey.
Send the original by tracked courier; keep a scan.
When the business is done, revoke.

Frequently asked questions

Can I give a power of attorney for Turkey from abroad?

Yes. Either at a Turkish consulate, which acts as a notary, or before a local notary with an apostille and a certified Turkish translation.

Does a foreign power of attorney need an apostille?

Yes, if issued by a foreign notary in a country party to the Apostille Convention. For other countries it must be legalised by the Turkish consulate. A document issued by the Turkish consulate itself needs neither.

Can someone buy or sell property for me in Turkey with a power of attorney?

Yes, with a notarially drafted power bearing your photograph that expressly authorises purchase or sale. A general wording is not enough.

How long is a Turkish power of attorney valid?

Indefinitely, until revoked, unless it states a term or ends by death, incapacity or bankruptcy. You may write in an expiry date.

Can I cancel a power of attorney?

At any time, by a revocation made before a notary or consulate and served on the agent. You should also notify the land registry, bank or court concerned.

Is an "irrevocable" power of attorney binding?

The right to revoke cannot be waived in advance. Revocation remains possible, though it may give rise to a damages claim under the underlying contract.

Do I need a special power of attorney for divorce?

Yes. The lawyer needs a power that expressly authorises the divorce case and carries your photograph.

What if my agent sold my property without telling me?

If the agent abused the authority and the buyer knew or should have known, you can sue to cancel the title and have the property re-registered. Otherwise you can claim its value from the agent and file a criminal complaint. Act quickly and seek an injunction on the title.

Does a power of attorney remain valid after death?

No, as a rule it ends on the death of the principal. It cannot replace a will.

Legal basis and sources

Turkish Code of Obligations No. 6098, Articles 40–43 and 502–514 — official consolidated text at mevzuat.gov.tr.
Notary Law No. 1512, Articles 84, 89, 90, 191 and 195 — mevzuat.gov.tr.
Civil Procedure Code No. 6100, Articles 74, 76 and 224 — mevzuat.gov.tr.
Hague Convention of 5 October 1961 Abolishing the Requirement of Legalisation for Foreign Public Documents.

This article provides general legal information on Turkish law as of October 2026. It is not legal advice. Institutions apply their own document requirements, which should be confirmed for each transaction.