How Foreign Companies Can Appoint a Turkish Attorney: Power of Attorney (POA) and Apostille Requirements (2026 Updated Guide)

Learn how a foreign company can appoint a Turkish attorney in 2026, including corporate authority documents, notarized powers of attorney, apostille requirements, Turkish translations, consular procedures and common POA mistakes.

Foreign companies doing business, investing, litigating or facing regulatory proceedings in Turkey frequently need to appoint a Turkish attorney without sending a company director to Turkey. In many cases, this can be achieved through a properly executed Power of Attorney (POA). The correct procedure depends on where the POA is signed, the company’s country of incorporation, whether the relevant country participates in the Hague Apostille Convention and the type of legal transaction the attorney will perform. The Hague Apostille Convention replaces traditional diplomatic or consular legalization, for documents within its scope between participating states, with the apostille certification mechanism.

For foreign companies, however, obtaining an apostille is only part of the process. Corporate authority, the identity and signing power of the company representative, the wording of the POA, Turkish translation and any transaction-specific authorities must also be considered.

Why Would a Foreign Company Need a Turkish Power of Attorney?

A foreign company may appoint a Turkish attorney for commercial litigation, customs disputes, debt recovery, administrative proceedings, employment disputes, shareholder conflicts, real estate matters, regulatory investigations, criminal proceedings involving company representatives, enforcement proceedings and many other legal matters.

The POA allows the Turkish attorney to act without requiring foreign directors to travel to Turkey for every procedural step.

Can a Foreign Company Appoint a Turkish Attorney From Abroad?

Yes. In many cases, the authorization can be prepared and executed abroad and subsequently used in Turkey after the necessary authentication, apostille or legalization and translation procedures have been completed.

The exact procedure depends on the country where the document is executed.

What Is the First Step?

Before signing anything, the foreign company should tell the Turkish attorney exactly what the representation will involve.

A general commercial dispute, real estate transaction, criminal proceeding, settlement, company transaction or customs case may require different authorization language.

Using a generic POA downloaded from the internet can therefore create unnecessary problems.

Who Signs the POA for the Foreign Company?

The document must be executed by the person or persons legally authorized to represent the foreign company.

This may be a director, board member, manager, authorized signatory or another corporate representative depending on the company’s governing law and corporate structure.

Corporate Signing Authority Must Be Proven

A Turkish authority, court, notary or other institution may need evidence showing that the individual signing the POA actually has authority to bind the foreign company.

The company should therefore be prepared to provide appropriate corporate documentation.

What Corporate Documents May Be Required?

Depending on the case, documents may include a certificate of incorporation or equivalent corporate registry document, current company extract, articles or constitutional documents, board resolution, incumbency certificate, signature authority documents or other evidence demonstrating representation authority.

The exact documents should be determined before the company begins the authentication process.

Why Is This Important?

A perfectly apostilled POA can still create difficulties if there is no adequate evidence showing that the person who signed it had authority to represent the company.

Foreign companies should therefore treat corporate authority and document authentication as two separate requirements.

What Is an Apostille?

An apostille is a certification used under the Hague Convention Abolishing the Requirement of Legalisation for Foreign Public Documents.

For documents falling within the Convention between participating states, the apostille certifies matters such as the authenticity of the signature, the capacity in which the person signing acted and, where appropriate, the identity of the seal or stamp.

Does an Apostille Prove the Contents of the POA?

No. An apostille principally authenticates specified formal aspects of the underlying public document. It should not be understood as confirmation that every authorization written in the POA is legally sufficient for every transaction in Turkey.

The substantive wording must still be prepared correctly.

When Is an Apostille Normally Relevant?

If the POA is executed before a competent authority in a country for which the Hague Apostille Convention applies in relation to Turkey and the document falls within the Convention’s scope, the appropriate authority in that country can generally issue the apostille required for use of the document abroad.

The exact country status should be checked before execution.

Is Apostille Required for Every Foreign Country?

No. The applicable authentication route depends on the country concerned, applicable international agreements and the nature of the document.

If the apostille framework does not apply, another legalization procedure may be required.

Do Not Assume Every Country Uses the Same Procedure

A foreign company should confirm the correct process for its jurisdiction before signing the POA.

This can prevent the expensive situation in which documents arrive in Turkey only to be rejected and returned for additional authentication.

Can the POA Be Executed at a Turkish Consulate?

Depending on the circumstances and available consular service, execution through a Turkish diplomatic or consular mission may provide another practical route for documents intended for use in Turkey.

Turkish consular officers have statutory authority concerning consular transactions abroad.

The company should confirm the particular consulate’s corporate-document requirements before the appointment.

Apostille Route or Turkish Consulate Route?

The appropriate route depends on the jurisdiction, company documents, urgency and intended legal transaction.

For some companies, execution before the competent local authority followed by apostille is practical. In other circumstances, a Turkish consular route may simplify aspects of the authentication process.

The procedure should be selected before documents are signed.

Does the POA Need to Be in Turkish?

Documents ultimately submitted to Turkish courts, notaries or administrative authorities may require an appropriate Turkish translation.

The company should coordinate translation requirements with its Turkish attorney before arranging multiple certifications abroad.

Avoid Unnecessary Double Translation

A common mistake is translating documents abroad, apostilling the wrong version and then discovering that another certified translation is required in Turkey.

Establish the complete sequence before beginning.

Should the POA Be Bilingual?

A bilingual POA can sometimes be convenient because the foreign signatory can understand the authorization while the Turkish wording is prepared for its intended use.

However, the acceptability and certification procedure should be confirmed for the particular transaction.

What Information Should the POA Contain?

The document should accurately identify the foreign company and the person executing the authorization on its behalf.

Company name, registration information, registered office and signatory details should be consistent with supporting corporate records.

The appointed Turkish attorney should also be identified correctly.

Powers Should Match the Legal Matter

The authorization should be drafted according to the representation required.

For litigation, it may need to address procedural representation. For enforcement, settlement, real estate, company transactions or other matters, additional or specific authorities may be necessary.

Special Authorities May Be Required

Certain procedural or substantive acts under Turkish law require express authorization.

For that reason, a short statement simply saying that the lawyer may “handle all legal matters in Turkey” may not always provide every power required for the intended case.

Litigation POAs Should Be Reviewed Before Execution

If litigation is expected, the attorney should review the proposed POA before it is notarized or apostilled.

Correcting wording after authentication can require the entire process to be repeated.

Customs and Administrative Cases

Foreign manufacturers and exporters frequently need Turkish counsel for customs penalties, anti-dumping proceedings, administrative litigation, regulatory disputes or detained shipments.

The POA should be prepared with the expected proceedings in mind.

Criminal Investigations Involving Foreign Companies

If a foreign company or its executives become involved in a Turkish criminal investigation, representation requirements may differ from an ordinary commercial lawsuit.

The lawyer should determine whose representation is required—the company, individual manager or both—and whether separate authorizations are appropriate.

Conflicts Between Company and Manager Should Be Considered

The interests of a foreign company and an individual director are not always identical.

Where both face potential liability, representation and authorization should be structured carefully.

Real Estate Transactions May Require Specific Wording

A foreign company’s POA concerning the acquisition, sale, mortgage or other disposition of Turkish real estate should be drafted specifically for the contemplated transaction.

Generic litigation wording should not be assumed sufficient.

Company and Share Transactions

A foreign investor appointing counsel for incorporation, share transfers, shareholder meetings or corporate restructuring should likewise ensure that the POA contains the necessary transaction-specific powers.

Settlement Authority Should Be Considered Carefully

Foreign companies should decide whether their Turkish attorney will be authorized to settle disputes and perform related acts.

The commercial consequences of settlement authority can be significant, so the authorization should reflect the company’s actual instructions.

Banking Powers Should Not Be Added Automatically

A litigation POA does not necessarily need broad banking authority.

Foreign companies should avoid granting unnecessary powers simply because they appear in a template.

Narrow or Broad POA?

The answer depends on the engagement.

For a single lawsuit or transaction, a more targeted authorization may be appropriate. Companies with continuing Turkish operations may prefer broader representation within carefully defined limits.

Check the Company Name Character by Character

Differences in company names can create problems.

The POA, corporate registry extract, board resolution and other documents should use consistent legal names.

Trade names and shortened brand names should not replace the company’s registered legal identity unless appropriate.

Corporate Changes Should Be Reflected

If the company recently changed its name, merged, converted its legal form or moved its registered office, supporting evidence may be needed to explain discrepancies between older and newer documents.

Check the Signatory’s Name and Title

The signatory’s name and corporate title should correspond with the corporate documents establishing authority.

Avoid informal job titles where the legal authority arises from a different formal position.

Does the Board Need to Approve the POA?

That depends on the company’s governing law, constitutional documents and representation structure.

Some companies may be represented by an individual director; others may require joint signatures or a board resolution.

This should be determined under the company’s corporate framework before signing.

Joint Signature Rules Matter

If two directors must jointly represent the company, a POA executed by only one may be challenged as unauthorized.

The Turkish lawyer should receive the company’s representation documents before finalizing the execution instructions.

The Notary Should See the Correct Corporate Evidence

Where a POA is executed before a foreign notary, the company should determine what corporate authority evidence the notary requires and what documentation will later be needed in Turkey.

The fact that a foreign notary accepted a signature does not necessarily eliminate all questions concerning corporate authority in the Turkish proceeding.

Apostille the Correct Documents

Depending on the intended use, authentication may be required not only for the POA but also for supporting corporate public documents.

The precise document set should be established in advance.

Do Not Apostille Random Photocopies

The apostille mechanism applies to qualifying public documents and certifications under the applicable Convention framework.

Companies should follow the competent authority’s procedure rather than simply attaching apostilles to whatever copies happen to be available.

Electronic Apostilles May Exist in Some Jurisdictions

Some jurisdictions operate electronic apostille systems. Whether the resulting document can be processed conveniently for the particular Turkish transaction should be checked before relying solely on electronic records.

Original Documents May Still Matter

Courts, notaries, registries or administrative bodies may require presentation or retention of documents in particular forms.

The company should therefore confirm whether originals, certified copies or electronic versions are required.

Keep High-Quality Scans Before Sending Originals

Before couriering original corporate documents and POAs internationally, create complete electronic copies.

This helps the Turkish attorney review the documentation immediately and protects against practical problems if originals are delayed.

Courier Tracking Is Important

POA originals can become urgent where a lawsuit, objection, customs proceeding or regulatory deadline is approaching.

Use traceable delivery and send the tracking details to Turkish counsel.

Can the Lawyer Start Working Before the Original POA Arrives?

Legal analysis and preparation can often begin immediately, but whether a particular filing or procedural act can be completed before formal authority documentation is submitted depends on the proceeding.

Do not delay contacting Turkish counsel merely because the POA has not yet been completed.

Court Deadlines Continue While the POA Is Being Prepared

A foreign company should not assume that international document preparation automatically suspends Turkish procedural deadlines.

If a lawsuit, customs objection, administrative sanction or enforcement matter is urgent, notify the Turkish attorney immediately.

Apostille Problems Can Be Prevented

Before execution, send draft copies of the POA and corporate documents to Turkish counsel.

The attorney can identify obvious problems with names, authority wording, signatories and intended use before the company pays for notarization, apostille, translation and international courier services.

Common POA Mistakes Foreign Companies Make

Frequent problems include using an individual’s POA instead of a corporate POA, having the wrong director sign, failing to prove signing authority, using an incorrect company name, obtaining authentication from the wrong authority, missing transaction-specific powers, providing an incomplete Turkish translation and beginning the apostille process before Turkish counsel reviews the wording.

Can a Foreign Company Revoke the POA?

A company can generally change or terminate its attorney relationship, but the revocation should be carried out through the legally appropriate procedure and communicated to relevant authorities and parties where necessary.

The company should obtain advice before assuming that an internal email alone terminates the attorney’s procedural authority everywhere.

What Happens When the Company’s Director Changes?

A properly granted corporate authorization does not necessarily cease merely because internal management changes. However, the company’s corporate situation and the wording of the particular POA should be reviewed.

New management may also decide to issue a replacement or revocation.

Can One POA Cover Several Turkish Proceedings?

Potentially, if drafted broadly enough and legally suitable for the acts concerned.

However, special transactions may still require express powers or separate documentation.

2026 Practical POA Checklist for Foreign Companies

Before signing a Turkish attorney POA, confirm the company’s exact registered name, registration information, authorized signatory, representation structure, purpose of the POA, required special authorities, authentication route, apostille status of the country, supporting corporate documents, Turkish translation requirements and whether originals must be delivered to Turkey.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can a foreign company appoint a Turkish lawyer without travelling to Turkey?

Yes. In many situations, a properly executed and authenticated POA can be prepared abroad and used in Turkey.

Does every foreign POA require an apostille?

No. The applicable procedure depends on the country, international agreements, document type and method of execution.

What does an apostille certify?

Under the Hague Convention, it addresses formal matters such as authenticity of the signature, the capacity of the signatory and, where appropriate, the identity of the seal or stamp.

Can a Turkish consulate be used instead?

Depending on the circumstances and available consular service, execution through a Turkish diplomatic or consular mission may be an alternative. The specific mission’s requirements should be confirmed beforehand.

Does the POA need a Turkish translation?

For use before Turkish institutions, an appropriate Turkish translation may be required depending on how the document was prepared and certified.

Does the director need to prove authority to sign?

The foreign company should be prepared to demonstrate that the person executing the POA has legal authority to represent it.

Is a general POA enough for every legal transaction?

Not necessarily. Certain proceedings and transactions require express or specific authorization.

Should the company sign the POA before sending it to its Turkish lawyer for review?

Preferably not. The draft should first be checked so that errors are identified before notarization, apostille and translation costs are incurred.

Can a POA be used for customs and regulatory disputes?

Yes, provided that the authorization is appropriately drafted for the required representation and procedural acts.

What is the safest practical approach?

Have the Turkish attorney prepare or review the POA and corporate-document checklist before anything is signed abroad. The company can then complete notarization, apostille or the applicable legalization procedure once, rather than repeating the process because of an avoidable wording or authority problem.

Client-Focused Legal Support for Foreign Companies Appointing Counsel in Turkey

Fırat Fesih Kaya Law Office assists foreign companies, investors, manufacturers and international businesses with the preparation and use of Powers of Attorney for litigation, commercial disputes, customs matters, regulatory proceedings, enforcement, corporate transactions and other legal matters in Turkey. Lawyer Fırat Fesih Kaya can coordinate the required POA wording, corporate authority documents, apostille or legalization process and Turkish documentation before the foreign company completes execution abroad.

Phone:
+90 312 434 22 22

Mobile:
+90 532 769 22 22

Email:
info@firatfesihkaya.av.tr

Address:
Mevlana Boulevard No:221, Yıldırım Tower, Office No:148
06520 Balgat, Çankaya, Ankara, Turkey