At the Turkish Notary (Noter): Sworn Translators, Power of Attorney & Legal Terms

In Türkiye a lot of everyday paperwork passes through a notary (noter). You may need one to certify a rental contract for your residence permit, to get a sworn Turkish translation of your passport, to sell a car, or to give a lawyer or accountant a power of attorney (vekâletname). This guide explains the rules that matter most to foreigners and gives you the Turkish to follow what is happening.

Note: This is a language-learning guide, not legal advice. Fees and procedures change; check with the notary office, the Union of Turkish Notaries (tnb.org.tr) or a lawyer before you sign anything.

1. How Turkish notaries work

• Numbered offices. Notaries are named after their district and a number, for example Beyoğlu 12. Noterliği (Beyoğlu 12th Notary Office) or Çankaya 4. Noterliği.
• National fee tariff. Notary charges follow a fee tariff that is set nationally and updated every year, and many documents also carry a state fee (harç). The total depends on the document’s type and length, so ask for the cost before the clerk starts drafting: Bu işlemin ücreti ne kadar? (How much is this transaction?)
• The sworn translator rule. Article 74 of the Notary Law (Noterlik Kanunu, No. 1512) is one sentence long: İlgili, Türkçe bilmezse andlı bir tercüman da bulundurulur. (“If the person concerned does not know Turkish, a sworn translator is also present.”) The translator’s oath is taken before the notary. In practice the translator explains the document to you in your language and signs it too. You usually have to bring and pay the translator yourself; many notary offices can recommend one who is sworn at that office.
• Photos. For some documents, such as many powers of attorney, the notary attaches your photo. Bring two recent passport-style photos to be safe.
• Foreign documents. To use a foreign document in Türkiye (for example a marriage certificate for a family residence permit), Göç İdaresi asks for an apostille from the issuing country and a notarised Turkish translation. Countries outside the Apostille Convention need consular legalisation instead.
• Apostilles on Turkish documents. To use a Turkish notarised document abroad, get an apostille from the district governor’s office (kaymakamlık) or the provincial governor’s office (valilik). Some documents can be apostilled online through the e-Apostil system.

2. Dialogue: giving a power of attorney (Noterde vekâletname vermek)

Elena wants to give her lawyer a power of attorney. She has come with a sworn translator (yeminli tercüman). The notary clerk is the kâtip.

Kâtip:      Sıradaki! Hoş geldiniz, hangi işlemi yapacaksınız?
            (Next! Welcome, what transaction are you doing?)

Elena:      Merhaba. Avukatıma dava ve ikamet işlemleri için vekâletname vermek istiyorum.
            (Hello. I want to give my lawyer a power of attorney for court and residence matters.)

Kâtip:      Türkçe biliyor musunuz? Bilmiyorsanız yeminli tercüman gerekiyor.
            (Do you know Turkish? If not, a sworn translator is needed.)

Tercüman:   Merhaba, ben Elena Hanım'ın tercümanıyım. Bu noterlikte yeminliyim.
            (Hello, I'm Ms Elena's translator. I'm sworn at this notary office.)

Kâtip:      Çok güzel. Pasaportun aslını, noter onaylı tercümesini, avukatın bilgilerini ve iki fotoğraf alabilir miyim?
            (Very good. May I have the original passport, its notarised translation, the lawyer's details and two photos?)

            [The clerk drafts the document and prints it.]

Kâtip:      Belge hazır. Tercüman Bey, lütfen metni Elena Hanım'a kendi dilinde okuyun.
            (The document is ready. Translator, please read the text to Ms Elena in her language.)

Tercüman:   Metni madde madde tercüme ettim. Elena Hanım yetkileri anladı ve kabul ediyor.
            (I translated the text clause by clause. Ms Elena has understood the powers and accepts them.)

Kâtip:      Lütfen buraya adınızı ve soyadınızı el yazınızla yazıp imzalayın.
            (Please write your first name and surname here in your own handwriting and sign.)

Elena:      Tamam. Ücreti kartla ödeyebilir miyim?
            (Okay. Can I pay the fee by card?)

Kâtip:      Evet, vezneden kartla ödeyebilirsiniz.
            (Yes, you can pay by card at the cashier's desk.)

Elena:      Çok teşekkür ederim, iyi çalışmalar!
            (Thank you very much, have a good day at work!)

Grammar in the dialogue

• Dava ve ikamet işlemleri için (“for court and residence matters”): için is a postposition meaning “for”. See postpositions ile, için, kadar, göre.
• Ödeyebilir miyim? (“Can I pay?”) uses the ability form -ebil/-abil, the politest way to ask permission at a counter.
• Onaylatmak / tercüme ettirmek (“to have something certified / translated”) are causatives. At a notary you rarely do things yourself; you have them done. See causative verbs.
• Elena Hanım’ın tercümanı (“Ms Elena’s translator”) is a genitive–possessive pair. See possessive suffixes.

3. Notary and legal vocabulary

4. Practical tips

• Weekend on-duty notaries. Most notaries close at weekends, but on-duty notaries (nöbetçi noter) open in larger cities. The on-duty list is published on the Union of Turkish Notaries website, tnb.org.tr.
• Get your passport translated once. Many offices ask for a notarised Turkish translation of your passport (noter onaylı pasaport tercümesi). Keep a couple of certified copies.
• Check the spelling of your name. Your name should be spelled the same way on your passport, residence permit, tax number and notarised documents. Characters that Turkish does not use (é, ñ, ß) can cause mismatches, so check every draft letter by letter.
• Ask for the cost first. Asking Toplam ne kadar tutacak? (What will the total come to?) before drafting avoids surprises. If you need help reading the amount, practice prices with the number converter.

Next steps

Notary Turkish is full of “have it done” verbs: onaylatmak, tercüme ettirmek, yaptırmak. Learn the pattern in the causative verbs guide. If you are setting up as self-employed, the notary is also where you sign your accountant’s power of attorney; see our freelancing guide.