Turkish customer not paying? A 12-step checklist for U.S. exporters

Use this checklist when a Turkish customer has missed a payment and informal reminders have not worked. It is written for the U.S. exporter's credit manager, CFO or in-house counsel, and it follows the order that keeps the most options open. Tick each item as you go and keep scanned copies of everything you collect.

The day ranges are a working calendar for the first 30 days, not legal deadlines. Turkish legal deadlines start later, for example once a payment order is served or a concordat notice is published.

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

Days 1-7: secure the paper trail#

• Step 1. Contract and order documents. Collect the signed contract or framework agreement, purchase orders, order confirmations, pro forma invoices and your general terms of sale, with proof the buyer received them.
• Step 1. Invoices and proof of sending. Keep each commercial invoice and the e-mail or courier record showing it was sent. Between merchants, an invoice not disputed within 8 days of receipt is deemed accepted as to its content (Article 21(2) of the Turkish Commercial Code No. 6102 ("TCC")).
• Step 1. Proof of delivery. Bills of lading, sea waybills, telex release confirmations, CMR notes, arrival notices and, where available, the Turkish import declaration naming the importer.
• Step 2. Statement of account. Prepare an itemized statement showing each invoice, due date, payment and credit note, in the invoice currency.
• Step 2. Correspondence export. Export e-mails in original format with headers, and messaging chats with media and contact details. Electronic data are documents under Article 199 of the Code of Civil Procedure (HMK); screenshots alone are weaker.
• Step 2. Payment records. Bank records (for example SWIFT messages) of every partial payment, with dates.

Days 1-7: check the debtor#

• Step 3. Exact legal identity. Confirm the customer's full registered trade name, tax identification number, Central Registry System (MERSİS) number and registered address. A brand name or branch name is not enough for a filing.
• Step 3. Who signed. Check whether the people who placed orders or acknowledged the debt were authorized signatories of the company.
• Step 4. Public notices. Search the Trade Registry Gazette and the official notice portal for concordat, bankruptcy, merger, capital or management changes. A provisional concordat moratorium is announced there, and creditors have only 7 days to object (EBL Art. 288).
• Step 4. Monitoring. Set a weekly reminder to repeat the notice search until the matter is resolved.

Days 7-14: contract review and formal notice#

• Step 5. Jurisdiction and governing law. Check whether the contract, pro forma or invoice terms choose a foreign court. In a dispute with a foreign element, a written clause choosing a foreign court can lead a Turkish court to decline the case if the debtor objects (Article 47 of Law No. 5718 on Private International and Procedural Law ("IPPL")).
• Step 5. Currency and interest clause. Note the payment currency and any agreed default interest; these drive the claim calculation. See collecting a U.S. dollar invoice in Türkiye.
• Step 6. Formal notice. Between merchants, notices putting the other side in default or terminating the contract must be sent through a notary, by registered mail, by telegram, or by registered electronic mail (KEP) with a secure electronic signature (TCC Art. 18(3)). A Turkish notary notice (ihtarname) is the most common choice.
• Step 7. Written acknowledgment. If the customer proposes a payment plan, ask for a written acknowledgment of the exact amount signed by an authorized signatory. If the debtor later objects, a debt acknowledgment with an admitted or notarized signature can support removal of the objection by the enforcement court (EBL Art. 68).
• Step 8. Who owns the receivable. Check whether the receivable is credit-insured, factored, pledged or assigned. If an insurer has paid or the receivable was sold, the right to enforce may have moved.

Days 14-30: prepare to act in Türkiye#

• Step 9. Power of attorney. Have the authorized officer sign a power of attorney before a U.S. notary, obtain county clerk authentication where your state requires it, and get the apostille from the same state. Turkish counsel must file it before acting (HMK Art. 76). See our power of attorney guide.
• Step 9. Corporate documents. A certificate of good standing and a secretary's certificate or resolution confirming the signer's authority, each apostilled.
• Step 10. Precautionary attachment assessment. For a due and unsecured money claim, a court may order a precautionary attachment of the debtor's assets (EBL Art. 257(1)). Budget for the counter-security the court usually requires (EBL Art. 259).
• Step 11. Security for costs. As a foreign claimant you may be asked to post security for costs unless reciprocity applies (IPPL Art. 48). See security for costs in Türkiye.
• Step 11. Translations and budget. Plan for sworn translation of key documents and for court and enforcement fees.
• Step 12. Choose the route. Decide with counsel between enforcement proceedings without a judgment and a lawsuit. After a payment order is served the debtor has 7 days to object (EBL Art. 62); an action for annulment of objection on a commercial claim requires mandatory mediation first (TCC Art. 5/A).

Mistakes that cost creditors the most#

• Waiting for the customer's promises while a concordat filing is being prepared.
• Sending "final notices" by ordinary e-mail only, when a formal notice was needed (TCC Art. 18(3)).
• Losing proof that invoices were sent and received.
• Getting the apostille from the wrong state or attaching it to the translation.
• Accepting a payment plan without a signed acknowledgment of the amount.

Next steps#

Once Steps 1 to 12 are done, your file is ready for review by Turkish counsel. For the full document list, see the documents checklist for debt recovery in Türkiye. For the stages that follow, see how a debt recovery matter proceeds.

To keep a copy, use your browser's print function and save this page as a PDF.

Frequently asked questions

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.