Serka Law Firm is a cross-border legal practice that advises English-speaking clients wherever their matter sits, with Turkish law its deepest specialism. Expats, foreign investors, and international companies work with us in English from the first conversation through filing, negotiation, or litigation, so that language never becomes the reason a residence application stalls, a property purchase goes wrong, or a contract is signed on terms a client did not fully understand.
Our clients are usually dealing with a real legal issue, not a translation problem. They need counsel who can read the Turkish statute, the official notice, or the title record, explain what it means in plain English, and tell them what to do next. This page sets out who we serve, the practice areas international clients most often need, how engagements work, and what they cost.
Who does an English-speaking lawyer in Turkey actually help?
We help foreign nationals and foreign-owned businesses whose legal matter is connected to Turkey but who are most comfortable instructing counsel in English. That includes people living in Turkey, people relocating, and people who never set foot in the country but own assets, run a company, or face a dispute here.
Typical clients include:
- Expatriates and digital nomads managing residence permits, work permits, or family status while living in Turkey.
- Foreign investors buying real estate or pursuing Turkish citizenship through a qualifying investment.
- International companies establishing a Turkish entity, signing distribution or supply agreements, or resolving a commercial dispute with a Turkish counterparty.
- Individuals facing a deportation order, a criminal investigation, an inheritance question, or a cross-border divorce that touches Turkish jurisdiction.
If your matter crosses more than one area, for example a property purchase that is also part of a citizenship application, we coordinate it as one file rather than sending you between disconnected specialists.
What legal services does Serka Law Firm provide for international clients?
We provide full-service Turkish legal counsel across the practice areas that international clients need most, delivered in English with the underlying work grounded in the relevant Turkish codes. The aim is to handle the matter end to end, from first review through resolution, not simply to translate documents.
Immigration, residence, and work authorization
We advise on short-term and long-term residence permits, family residence, work permits, and the consequences of status problems, under the Law on Foreigners and International Protection (Law No. 6458). Where a client has received a deportation decision or an entry ban, we assess the grounds and the route to challenge it before deadlines pass. See the pages on immigration and residence permits in Turkey and deportation orders and exclusion orders.
Real estate, property acquisition, and citizenship by investment
Foreign buyers need due diligence before money moves, not after. We review title records, encumbrances, zoning status, and the sale contract, and we structure the transaction so the deed transfer is clean. For investors using property to qualify for a Turkish passport, we align the purchase with the investment thresholds and documentary requirements of the citizenship route. See real estate law and property acquisition and Turkish citizenship by investment.
Company formation and commercial law
We establish Turkish companies for foreign founders, draft and review commercial agreements, and advise on ongoing corporate governance under the Turkish Commercial Code (Law No. 6102) and the Turkish Code of Obligations (Law No. 6098). For larger inbound projects, we structure foreign direct investment so the corporate, tax, and regulatory pieces fit together. See establishing companies in Turkey, corporate and commercial law, and foreign direct investment.
Disputes, litigation, and arbitration
When a deal breaks down, we represent international clients in Turkish courts and in arbitration. Cross-border matters often raise questions of which law governs and which forum decides, handled under the Act on Private International Law and Procedural Law (Law No. 5718). We advise on business disputes, conduct international commercial litigation, and act in international arbitration.
Family, criminal, and employment matters
We handle cross-border divorce, custody, and recognition of foreign judgments under the Turkish Civil Code (Law No. 4721), criminal defense where a foreign national is detained or under investigation, and employment questions tied to work permits. See family and divorce cases, criminal cases and jurisdiction, and employment, labor law, and work permits.
How does working with the firm in English work?
Engagements run in English from intake to resolution. Your first message goes to the firm, and our reply in English sets out the written scope before any work begins. You do not need to wait for everything to be translated to take the first step; we tell you which document genuinely needs certified translation and which does not.
A typical sequence looks like this:
- First message. You describe the matter to us in English and say which notice, contract, or official document is already in hand and which date it runs against.
- Scope and engagement. We confirm the work, the documents required, and the realistic timeline. The engagement begins only when you sign.
- Execution. We do the filing, drafting, negotiation, or court work, and we keep you updated in English at each procedural stage.
- Closure. We deliver the result, the executed documents, and clear guidance on anything you must do to keep the outcome in place.
Where you cannot attend in person, much of the work can be handled through a notarized power of attorney, so a residence renewal, a property closing, or a court appearance does not require you to fly to Turkey for every step.
What documents will I need?
Most files start with the same core set: identity records (passport and, where relevant, residence card), any official notice or decision already received, the key contracts or corporate documents, and a short written timeline of what has happened. The exact list depends on the matter, and the firm sends a tailored document request once it has read the matter.
| Your situation | Where the matter usually starts | Why it matters early |
|---|---|---|
| Residence, work permit, or a deportation or entry-ban notice | Immigration and residence work | Status files turn on the procedural posture and on statutory deadlines that are easy to miss. |
| Buying property, reviewing title, or investing for citizenship | Real estate and citizenship-by-investment work | Due diligence has to happen before funds move and before the deed transfers. |
| Setting up a company or signing commercial agreements | Corporate and commercial work | Structure, governance, and contract terms are far cheaper to get right at the start than to fix later. |
| A commercial dispute or a contract that has broken down | Litigation or arbitration work | Governing law, forum, and evidence positioning shape the outcome from day one. |
| Detention, investigation, or a criminal charge | Criminal defense work | Early defense steps protect rights that are difficult to recover once the process advances. |
Which languages does the firm work in?
This page is written in English because it serves English-speaking clients, and English is a working language of the firm for international matters. Clients who are more comfortable in another language are served in their own. The legal substance is the law that governs your file, Turkish law where the matter sits in Turkey. The language is simply how we make that law clear to you.
Why do cross-border clients choose Serka Law Firm?
International clients choose us because we combine genuine Turkish litigation and transactional experience with first-hand cross-border practice. We read the statute and the official record ourselves, we explain the real options rather than the comfortable ones, and we set out the work in writing before it starts so the relationship is predictable.
- One coordinated file. When a matter spans property, immigration, and company law, we run it as a single engagement instead of fragmenting it.
- Statute-grounded advice. Our guidance is tied to the named Turkish codes that govern the issue, not to general impressions.
- Remote-capable. Power of attorney and digital coordination let clients abroad keep a matter moving without constant travel.
- Direct communication. You deal with the lawyer responsible for your file, in English, at each stage.
Frequently asked questions
Do I have to be in Turkey to instruct the firm?
No. Many matters are handled remotely through a notarized power of attorney and secure document exchange. We tell you at the assessment stage whether your specific matter requires you to attend in person and, if so, for which step.
Can one engagement cover property, immigration, and company issues together?
Yes, when they are connected. A property purchase that also supports a citizenship application, for example, is run as one coordinated file. Where issues are genuinely separate, we scope each clearly so you know what is being handled.
Will my documents need certified Turkish translation?
Some will and some will not. Official filings and court submissions generally require certified translation, while early-stage review often does not. We identify exactly which documents need it so you do not pay to translate material that never has to be translated.
How quickly can you act if I have received a deportation or court notice?
Time-sensitive notices are treated as urgent because challenge periods are short. Send the notice to us on WhatsApp at +90 530 127 59 35 the day you receive it, with the date it was served on you, because that date starts the clock; the rest of the file can follow.
Write to us in English
If you want your matter handled in English, in Turkey or across a border, write to us at info@serkalaw.com or on WhatsApp at +90 530 127 59 35. A short description of the issue, the authority or counterparty involved, and any notice, contract, or official document you already have is enough to begin. The areas he covers are set out on our practice pages.
This page provides general information about Turkish law for international clients and is not legal advice. No attorney-client relationship is formed until a written engagement is signed.