A Turkish Power of Attorney is a legal document that authorises a person to act on behalf of an individual or a legal entity in Turkey. Turkey and the UK have both signed The Hague Convention Abolishing the Requirement for legalisation for Foreign Public Documents which makes the process of granting a Turkish Power of Attorney in the UK for Turkey relatively easy and straightforward.
1.Do I need a Turkish lawyer to prepare a Power of Attorney for Turkey?
It is not compulsory by law for a Power of Attorney (PoA) to be prepared by a lawyer. However, it is advisable to use a lawyer who knows the procedures for getting things done in Turkey, to prepare your Power of Attorney which includes the powers needed and avoids granting unnecessary powers.
2.Who can be empowered to act as your proxy according to Turkish Law?
Any person can become your proxy if he is over the age of 18. However, it is important to keep in mind that some of the procedures cannot be carried out if your proxy is not a lawyer. Therefore, before you grant the powers of attorney, it should be checked if your proxy is eligible to carry out all the procedures you require.
3.Does a proxy need to inform the grantor about his actions?
Once the Power of Attorney is given, the proxy is not required by law to inform the grantor about his actions. For that reason, one should always be careful when appointing someone as his proxy.
4.Do I have to go to Turkey to grant a Power of Attorney to be used in Turkey?
It is not compulsory to go to Turkey and the process can be completed from abroad.
5.What is the quickest way for a non-Turkish national in the United Kingdom to grant a Power of Attorney for Turkey?
It is advisable that the PoA should be prepared by a Turkish lawyer.
The scope of the PoA should be discussed with your lawyer and the powers to be included should be defined according to your specific needs.Once the PoA for Turkey has been drafted in English, it should be signed in the presence of a notary in the UK. Then, the notary should send the Power of Attorney to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office for the Apostille stamp to be placed on the PoA. This step usually takes approximately 1-2 weeks.The next step involves recognizing the apostilled and notarized PoA from the UK, in Turkey for use in the country. The PoA needs to be translated into Turkish by an official translator in Turkey and then taken to a notary in Turkey to have it notarized.
6.Do I have to put a photograph on the Turkish Power of Attorney?
Depending on the powers in the PoA, it might be necessary to attach a photograph of the grantor on the PoA. For example, if the Power of Attorney is to be used for a property sale in Turkey or a divorce, it should always include the picture of the grantor.
If you have any questions about a Turkish Power of Attorney for Turkey, please do not hesitate to contact us. UT Legal, through its offices in London and Istanbul, can handle all the procedures for you. Our Turkish lawyer in London will assist you with your PoA for Turkey and all you have to do is go to a notary of your choice in your location to sign the PoA that we will prepare for you.