English-Speaking Lawyer in Ankara
Legal advice and representation in English for foreign nationals and foreign-owned companies in Turkey — from residence permits and citizenship files to company formation, criminal defence and administrative litigation.
Efeoğlu Law and Consultancy is a law office in Çankaya, Ankara, advising foreign individuals and companies who live, work, invest or face proceedings in Turkey. Correspondence, meetings and the explanation of documents are handled in English; filings and hearings are conducted in Turkish as Turkish procedural law requires.
This page sets out the matters most frequently brought to the office by foreign clients, the authority responsible for each, and the procedural time limits that apply. Attorney Alişan Efeoğlu is registered with the Ankara Bar Association under registration number 45176.
Legal Services for Foreign Nationals
Residence Permits
Law No. 6458 on Foreigners and International Protection sets out five principal categories of residence permit: short-term, family, student, long-term and humanitarian. Each has distinct conditions as to purpose of stay, duration, proof of income and health insurance. Applications are submitted to the Presidency of Migration Management and processed through its provincial directorates.
Advice is provided on selecting the correct category, preparing the supporting file, responding to requests for further documents, and challenging a refusal or cancellation before the administrative court.
Work Permits
Work permits are granted by the Ministry of Labour and Social Security. As a rule the application is filed by the employer in Turkey; foreign nationals already holding a valid residence permit of at least six months may apply from within the country. Independent work permits and permits for company directors follow separate rules. A residence permit does not by itself confer the right to work.
Turkish Citizenship
Turkish Citizenship Law No. 5901 provides for ordinary naturalisation after five years of uninterrupted lawful residence, acquisition through marriage after three years where the union subsists, and exceptional naturalisation, which includes the investment routes. The investment thresholds are set by presidential regulation and are revised from time to time; as at the date of this page they stand at USD 400,000 for real estate — with a three-year restriction on resale annotated on the title deed — and USD 500,000 for fixed capital investment, bank deposits, government bonds and the other permitted instruments.
Work in this area covers assessment of eligibility, preparation and follow-up of the application file, and legal action where an application is refused.
Company Formation and Commercial Matters
Foreign natural and legal persons may establish companies and hold shares in Turkey on the same terms as Turkish nationals, subject to restrictions in a limited number of regulated sectors. Formation is carried out through the MERSIS system and completed before the relevant trade registry directorate. Advice covers the choice of company type, drafting of articles of association, shareholders' agreements, commercial contracts governed by Turkish law, and disputes before the commercial courts.
Administrative Disputes and Deportation
Decisions of Turkish administrative authorities — refusal or cancellation of a residence permit, refusal of a work permit, deportation orders, administrative detention and administrative fines — are challenged before the administrative courts. Time limits in this field are short and strict: under Article 53 of Law No. 6458 an application against a deportation decision must be made within seven days of notification.
Related reading, published in Turkish: The Legal Status of Foreigners in Turkey and the Conditions for Removal.
Criminal Defence
Foreign nationals who are taken into custody, summoned to give a statement or prosecuted in Turkey have the right to a defence lawyer and, where they do not speak Turkish, to an interpreter at the expense of the State. Assistance covers the investigation stage, objections to detention before the Criminal Judgeship of the Peace, defence at trial, and appeal proceedings.
Family Law
Divorce, custody, maintenance and matrimonial property matters involving a foreign element raise questions of jurisdiction and applicable law under Law No. 5718 on Private International Law and Procedure, as well as questions of recognition and enforcement of foreign judgments in Turkey. These are addressed at the outset, since they determine where and under which law the case will be heard.
Enforcement and Debt Recovery
Collection of receivables in Turkey proceeds through the enforcement offices under Law No. 2004 on Enforcement and Bankruptcy. Foreign creditors may pursue enforcement through an attorney holding a power of attorney, without travelling to Turkey.
Why Proceedings Often Lead to Ankara
Ankara is not only the seat of government; it is where several matters affecting foreign nationals are decided or finally reviewed.
- The Presidency of Migration Management, the central authority for residence permits, international protection and removal, has its headquarters in Ankara.
- The Court of Cassation (Yargıtay) is the final instance for civil and criminal matters, and the Council of State (Danıştay) for administrative matters. Both sit in Ankara.
- The Constitutional Court (Anayasa Mahkemesi), before which individual applications are made once ordinary remedies are exhausted, is also in Ankara.
- Ministries and foreign embassies are located in Çankaya, where the office is situated.
For a file that may end up before one of these institutions, being represented by an office based in Ankara removes a layer of coordination.
Instructing the Office From Abroad
Most proceedings can be conducted without your physical presence in Turkey. A power of attorney is required, and may be issued in one of two ways:
- before a notary in your country of residence, with an apostille under the 1961 Hague Convention and a certified Turkish translation; or
- before a Turkish consulate in your country, in which case no apostille is needed.
The power of attorney must state the powers being granted; a general instrument is not always sufficient, as certain acts — such as settlement, waiver or acceptance — require express authority. Some steps remain personal: an interview in a citizenship file, or a hearing where the court orders a party to appear.
Language of the Proceedings
Meetings, correspondence and the explanation of documents can be conducted in English. Filings, hearings and official correspondence are in Turkish, as required by Turkish procedural law. Where a document originates in another language, a certified translation is prepared; where a hearing requires it, a sworn interpreter is arranged. Services are also available in Turkish and Russian.
Fees
Legal fees are determined on the basis of the Minimum Attorney Fee Tariff published annually by the Union of Turkish Bar Associations, taking into account the legal nature of the matter, the expected duration of the proceedings and the work required. The fee may be structured as a fixed amount, as a success-based component, or in stages. The terms applicable to your file are assessed on a case-by-case basis.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to be in Turkey for my case to proceed?
In most matters, no. A power of attorney issued before a notary in your country of residence — bearing an apostille — or before a Turkish consulate allows an attorney to act on your behalf before Turkish courts, enforcement offices and administrative authorities. Certain steps, such as a personal interview in a citizenship file or a hearing where the court orders your appearance, still require attendance in person.
Which residence permit applies to my situation?
The Law on Foreigners and International Protection (Law No. 6458) provides for short-term, family, student, long-term and humanitarian residence permits, each with its own conditions and duration. The correct category depends on your purpose of stay, your source of income and your family ties in Turkey. Applications are made to the Presidency of Migration Management, whose central authority is based in Ankara.
How can a foreign national acquire Turkish citizenship?
Turkish Citizenship Law No. 5901 provides three principal routes. Ordinary naturalisation requires five years of uninterrupted lawful residence. Marriage to a Turkish citizen allows an application after three years of marriage, subject to the requirement that the union subsists. Exceptional naturalisation covers investment: as at the date of this page, the thresholds are USD 400,000 for real estate, with a three-year restriction on resale annotated on the title deed, and USD 500,000 for the other permitted routes such as fixed capital investment, bank deposits or government bonds. Thresholds are set by presidential regulation and change from time to time.
What can be done against a deportation decision?
Under Article 53 of Law No. 6458, the foreign national, their legal representative or their attorney may apply to the administrative court within seven days of notification of the deportation decision. This is a short and strict time limit. The decision on international protection status and any administrative detention order are separate matters, each with its own procedure.
Can a foreign national establish a company in Turkey?
Yes. Foreign natural and legal persons may establish and hold shares in Turkish companies on the same terms as Turkish nationals, subject to sector-specific restrictions in a limited number of fields. Formation is carried out through the MERSIS system and completed at the relevant trade registry directorate. A separate work permit is required if a foreign shareholder or director will also work in the company.
How are legal fees determined?
Fees are determined on the basis of the Minimum Attorney Fee Tariff published annually by the Union of Turkish Bar Associations, taking into account the legal nature of the matter, the expected duration of the proceedings and the work required. The fee may be structured as a fixed amount, as a success-based component, or in stages. The terms applicable to your file are assessed on a case-by-case basis.
In which languages can the file be handled?
Correspondence, meetings and the explanation of documents can be conducted in English. Court submissions, official filings and hearings are conducted in Turkish, as required by Turkish procedural law; where an official translation or a sworn interpreter is needed, this is arranged as part of the process.