Debt Recovery in Turkey: Documents Checklist

Key points

Proof of the contract and proof of delivery carry most commercial claims; collect both before anything is filed.
A signed acknowledgment of the debt can open the removal-of-objection route if the debtor objects (EBL Art. 68).
Your company acts through a power of attorney that is notarized, apostilled and translated into Turkish.

How to use this list#

Your credit, sales or finance team fills in the list. Keep the originals; scanned copies are enough for the first review. Leave an item unticked if you do not have it and note why: a missing document does not always block a claim, but it changes which route makes sense. This is a general preparation tool, not advice on your file.

Version: 2026-10 · Law as at: October 11, 2026

Start here

Is the claim based on a check, promissory note or bill of exchange? If yes, also see the table in section F.
Has your customer filed for concordat (konkordato) or bankruptcy? If yes, use the concordat claim-filing checklist as well.
Does the contract have an arbitration clause, or do you already hold a foreign judgment? If yes, flag it on the first call; the route is different.
Are there signs the customer is moving assets? If yes, go to the precautionary attachment checklist.
Did the goods move in several shipments, by sea or through a freight forwarder? If yes, build one file per shipment as in section G.

A. The deal#

Signed contract or framework agreement: full text, annexes and amendments.
Purchase orders and order confirmations: the main proof of the deal if there is no signed contract.
Your terms and conditions: with proof they were sent to or accepted by the customer.
Proforma invoices: the written trail of price, due date and payment terms.
Commercial invoices: a list with number, date, amount and currency.
Proof the invoices were received: e-mail, courier record or platform log. Under Turkish law, a recipient who does not object within 8 days is deemed to accept the invoice content (Article 21(2) of the Turkish Commercial Code, Law No. 6102, "TCC").

B. Delivery#

Transport document: bill of lading, air waybill or CMR consignment note.
Telex release or delivery order record: where goods moved by sea.
Delivery receipt: signed by the customer or its forwarder.
Export declaration: the customs record of the shipment.
Quality complaints and your replies: the full exchange, including inspection reports.

C. The numbers#

Statement of account: dated, item by item, with the current balance.
Balance confirmations: any confirmation the customer signed or e-mailed.
Payment records: dates and amounts of partial payments, with the bank confirmation or SWIFT message for each one, matched to the statement of account.
Credit notes and return invoices: which invoice each one reduced, when and by how much.
Interest clause: the contract or invoice wording on late payment interest.
Currency: the invoice currency and payment terms. A Turkish request for enforcement states the exchange-rate date for a foreign-currency claim (Article 58 of the Enforcement and Bankruptcy Law, Law No. 2004, "EBL").

D. Correspondence#

Payment reminders: with the dates they were sent.
Signed acknowledgment of the debt: a payment plan, settlement letter or signed statement. It matters if the customer objects (EBL Art. 68).
Formal notice, if already sent: between merchants, a notice of default is served through a notary, registered mail, telegram or registered e-mail (KEP) (TCC Art. 18(3)).
E-mails in native format: .eml or .msg files that keep the header data, not only PDF prints.
Messaging apps: a full chat export with media, not screenshots. Electronic data counts as documentary evidence (Article 199 of the Code of Civil Procedure, Law No. 6100, "HMK").
Keep the chat intact: do not delete it, and export it before changing phones. Keep the contact cards so that they show the numbers used.
Attachments missing from the export: separate copies of PDFs and spreadsheets shared in the chat.

E. Your customer#

Exact registered name: as shown in the Turkish trade registry, not a brand name.
Tax identification number and MERSİS number: from invoices, the contract or the registry.
Registered address and known business addresses: for service of the payment order.
Known assets: banks, vehicles, real estate, or receivables the customer has from its own buyers.

F. Your company#

Certificate of good standing: recent, from your state or country of incorporation.
Proof of signatory authority: board resolution or officer's certificate for the person who signs the power of attorney.
Power of attorney: notarized, apostilled and translated; see the power of attorney checklist. A Turkish lawyer files the original or a certified copy (HMK Art. 76).
Address in Türkiye: a creditor abroad states one in the request for enforcement; if not, the place of the enforcement office is treated as its address (EBL Art. 58).
Security for costs: a foreign claimant may be ordered to post security unless reciprocity applies (Article 48 of Law No. 5718, "IPPL"); see security for costs.

Claim type	Extra document	Note
Check, promissory note or bill of exchange	The original instrument	The debtor has 5 days to object or complain (EBL Art. 168)
Foreign court judgment	Certified judgment and proof of finality	Enforcement in Türkiye needs an exequatur decision first (IPPL Art. 50)
Assigned, insured or factored receivable	Assignment agreement and notice to the debtor	Credit insurance or factoring agreement, if any

G. One file per shipment#

Where there are several shipments, organize the papers shipment by shipment: one folder per invoice and one summary table across all of them. Gaps then show up at the first review instead of after filing.

Summary table: one row per invoice with number, date, due date, amount and currency; container or truck number; transport document number; the company named as consignee on the transport document; status of the delivery evidence.
Commercial invoice and every version of it: if a second version with a different price or buyer exists, keep both, and add which one reached the customer, when, and the written basis for the new price (proforma, e-mail or message).
Packing list and certificate of origin: they tie the quantity and identity of the goods to the invoice.
The whole transport document: every page of the bill of lading, sea waybill or CMR, not only the first. If a draft and the final document differ in vessel, date or container, keep both.
Carrier release records: the arrival notice, the telex release or sea waybill release, and the delivery order at destination. These show who took the goods and when.
Forwarder named as consignee: if the transport document names a freight forwarder or another company as consignee, the forwarder's own bill of lading or delivery order naming your customer.
Turkish customs declaration: it shows who imported the goods. If you do not have it, ask your forwarder or the customs broker at destination.
The e-mail that sent each invoice: it fixes the date for the 8-day objection period (TCC Art. 21(2)).
Payment, credit and return entries: every payment, credit note, return or write-off applied to that invoice.
Invoices your customer issued to you: in two-way trade, the customer may raise them as set-off. Show which were paid and whether they are credited in your statement.
Rejected or returned lots: the rejection, the date you told the customer and the return shipping documents.
Translation plan: a party relying on a document in a foreign language must also file its translation (HMK Art. 223). Once the documents for filing are chosen, counsel decides which ones need translation.

Common mistakes#

Sending invoices without keeping proof that they arrived.
A statement of account that leaves out partial payments and credit notes.
Using the customer's trade name instead of its registered name.
Keeping chat messages only as screenshots.
An apostille from the wrong state, or an apostille placed on the translation instead of the original.
Two versions of the same invoice number with no record of which one the customer received.
No documents from the forwarder named as consignee on the transport document.
Keeping only the first page of the transport document.

Next steps#

Process: How a debt recovery matter proceeds in Türkiye
Deadlines: Enforcement deadlines in Türkiye
First 30 days: Turkish customer not paying? Checklist for U.S. exporters

You can save this list as an A4 PDF with the PDF button on this page or your browser's print function.

Sources

Enforcement and Bankruptcy Law (Law No. 2004), Arts. 58, 68, 168 (mevzuat.gov.tr)
Turkish Commercial Code (Law No. 6102), Arts. 18(3), 21(2) (mevzuat.gov.tr)
Code of Civil Procedure (Law No. 6100), Arts. 76, 199, 223, 224 (mevzuat.gov.tr)
Law No. 5718 on Private International and Procedural Law, Arts. 48, 50 (mevzuat.gov.tr)

Change log

October 11, 2026: First published.

Law stated as at: October 11, 2026. Leyla Başkaya Şentürk is a lawyer (avukat) admitted to the Istanbul Bar Association, Türkiye (Reg. No. 67063). She advises on Turkish law only, is not admitted to practise law in any U.S. jurisdiction and does not advise on U.S. law. Content on this website is general information, not legal advice, and no outcome is promised. Using this website or submitting the contact form does not create an attorney-client relationship.

Documents checklist: recovering a commercial debt in Türkiye