Recognition & Enforcement of Foreign Judgments: what the review can cover
Hukuk&Co can arrange a consultation with the lawyer responsible for assessing your matter. The initial review can clarify the issues below, the documents needed and whether further advice, drafting, negotiation or representation is appropriate.
- Judgment and procedural-document review
- Recognition or enforcement assessment
- Defence and related execution planning
An initial consultation is not an unlimited engagement. Any document review, written advice, filing, negotiation or proceedings must be included expressly in the agreed scope.
Recognition & Enforcement of Foreign Judgments in practice
Identify the effect sought in Türkiye
Provide the complete decision and explain whether you need recognition of a legal status, enforcement of a payment or another effect. Include available finality, service and representation records. The issuing country and the nature of each part of the decision matter; a translated judgment is not itself an enforcement strategy.
Plan subsequent recovery separately
Where payment is sought, review debtor and asset information alongside the judgment assessment. Recognition or enforcement proceedings and later execution are distinct stages. Certification, translation and foreign-counsel work should be scoped explicitly, without assuming that success in one stage guarantees collection.
Foreign documents, Turkish proceedings and recovery
Cross-border matters need a clear map of the countries, documents and intended outcomes. Do not assume that finality abroad, translation or certification makes every part of a decision immediately effective in Türkiye. Identify parallel proceedings and agree who advises on each jurisdiction.
| Part of the matter | What to assess | Scope to confirm |
|---|---|---|
| Source documents | Review the complete judgment, award or agreement and its procedural history. | Certification alone does not establish the desired legal effect. |
| Turkish-law work | Assess the relevant recognition, enforcement or dispute questions. | The correct route depends on the instrument and intended use. |
| Foreign counsel and later steps | Confirm any independent foreign-law advice and subsequent execution. | No unverified overseas office or worldwide representation is implied. |
Points to clarify before you proceed
Under Law No. 5718, recognition concerns the effect of a qualifying foreign judgment in Turkey. Enforcement concerns executing the judgment. For example, relying on a judgment to establish a legal status differs from collecting a payment awarded in it. The applicable route depends on the decision and the effect sought. Law No. 5718, Articles 50 and 58 ↗
Explain the result you are seeking and which steps have already been taken. A signed agreement, an existing file or an approaching deadline can change the questions that need attention. The appointed lawyer should identify material gaps in the information rather than assume facts that have not been established.
Documents for an initial assessment
Prepare the following where available. This is an initial-review guide, not a complete filing checklist or a requirement to send sensitive documents through an unsecured channel.
| Record to prepare | Why it helps the review |
|---|---|
| Complete judgment | Establishes the starting facts and helps connect the records to the correct person, asset or matter. |
| Available finality or enforceability evidence | Shows the current arrangement or procedural position; include complete versions and attachments. |
| Service and representation records | Helps explain what has happened and which points are supported by available evidence. |
| Intended use and known Turkish assets | Identifies existing steps, unresolved questions and any timing issue that needs assessment. |
Keep complete versions and any relevant attachments. If records are unavailable, in another language or held by a third party, explain that at the outset. Any retrieval, translation or certification work should be scoped separately.
From your first enquiry to an agreed scope
- Describe the matter.
Identify the parties, countries and current stage. State any notice, hearing or transaction deadline. For this assessment, begin by identifying complete judgment; available finality or enforceability evidence.
- Confirm the consultation and document review.
Availability, potential conflicts, the responsible provider, meeting format and fee are confirmed. Agree the questions and document set to be considered.
- Assess options and define further work.
The appointed lawyer can explain the next steps supported by the available information. Any legal work beyond the consultation is agreed separately, including its limitations, deliverables and external costs.
Starting from abroad: documents, language and authority
An initial consultation can be arranged online while you are outside Türkiye. Give the appointed lawyer your current location, the countries involved and any existing representation. The initial meeting helps identify what can be considered using copies and which later steps require originals, certified documents or authority to act.
Do not assume that remote consultation makes every subsequent procedure remote. The lawyer should confirm any power-of-attorney requirements and whether your personal participation is needed. Translation, certification and foreign-law advice depend on the intended use and should be coordinated under clear arrangements.
Fees, deliverables and timing
A defined scope
Agree the questions, document set, meetings and deliverables before work starts. Identify any exclusions and the approval needed for additional work.
Separate cost items
Professional fees, official charges, translation and external-provider costs should be distinguished. Ask what is included and when payment is due.
A realistic next step
Timing depends on the records, third parties and relevant procedure. No completion date or outcome is promised by an initial enquiry.
For recognition & enforcement of foreign judgments, the first discussion should identify the immediate task and what information is missing. If the matter changes, ask for confirmation of the revised scope and any fee implications before further work is undertaken.
Questions about recognition & enforcement of foreign judgments
Does an apostille make a foreign judgment enforceable in Turkey?
Do not assume that certification answers recognition or enforcement questions. The judgment, procedural history and applicable legal framework require a separate assessment.
What should I prepare for the first assessment?
Start with complete judgment, available finality or enforceability evidence. Add a short timeline and identify the decision, transaction or question you want assessed. Ask how to share sensitive records before sending them.
Can I begin while I am outside Türkiye?
An initial consultation can be online. Further steps depend on the matter, required documents and authority to act. Personal attendance, certified documents or qualified local counsel may be needed; these are assessed separately.
What work is included in the consultation?
An initial consultation is not an unlimited engagement. Any document review, written advice, filing, negotiation or proceedings must be included expressly in the agreed scope.
How are fees and external costs agreed?
The consultation and any further work are priced after the proposed scope is defined. Ask which document review, meetings and deliverables are included. Official charges and external-provider costs are distinguished from professional fees.
Does an enquiry mean the matter has been accepted?
No. Availability, potential conflicts and the service scope must be checked before an engagement is confirmed. Sending documents or a message does not protect a procedural deadline or create ongoing representation.
Which issues should I explain before the assessment?
Provide the complete decision and explain whether you need recognition of a legal status, enforcement of a payment or another effect. Include available finality, service and representation records. The issuing country and the nature of each part of the decision matter; a translated judgment is not itself an enforcement strategy.
What should the first review focus on?
Where payment is sought, review debtor and asset information alongside the judgment assessment. Recognition or enforcement proceedings and later execution are distinct stages. Certification, translation and foreign-counsel work should be scoped explicitly, without assuming that success in one stage guarantees collection.
Can I get a written assessment as well as a meeting?
A written assessment can be considered under an expressly agreed scope. Confirm the questions, document set, intended audience and deliverable. A consultation does not automatically include drafting or an ongoing written advisory service.
What if another country or professional is involved?
Identify that at the outset. Foreign-law advice, technical assessment, accounting, translation and official acts may need separate qualified providers. The responsible provider, scope and external costs should be confirmed rather than assumed to form part of the initial engagement.
Official references and review status
These sources provide a starting point. The applicable rules and procedure depend on the facts and current law.