The following case summaries illustrate the range of legal matters Serka Law Firm handles for international clients. All identifying details have been anonymized to protect client confidentiality.
1. Turkish Citizenship by Investment — Real Estate Route
Client: Family of four (Gulf region nationality)
Matter: citizenship by Investment via real estate purchase
Challenge: The client had identified a property but the developer’s title deed contained a mortgage annotation (ipotek) that would have blocked the citizenship application. Additionally, the independent valuation report returned a figure below the minimum investment threshold.
Outcome: We negotiated a mortgage release from the developer’s bank, secured a revised valuation through a CMB-licensed appraisal company, and structured the purchase to meet all regulatory requirements. The family received citizenship within 5 months of application submission, with no government rejections or supplementary document requests.
2. International Asset Recovery — Cross-Border Enforcement
Client: European corporate entity
Matter: Recovery of unpaid receivables from a counterparty
Challenge: The debtor company had restructured and transferred assets to a newly formed entity. The original arbitration award (ICC) needed to be recognized and enforced in courts under the New York Convention, and the asset transfer required a separate fraudulent conveyance (tasarrufun iptali) action.
Outcome: The ICC award was recognized by the Istanbul Commercial Court within 4 months. The fraudulent conveyance claim succeeded, reversing the asset transfer. Total recovery exceeded 85% of the original claim amount, including accrued interest and legal costs.
3. Airport Courthouse Representation — Emergency Criminal Defense
Client: Foreign national (CIS country)
Matter: Detention at Airport on an outstanding warrant
Challenge: The client was detained during transit at Airport based on a fraud complaint filed by a former business partner. The Airport Courthouse (Türkiye’s only airport-based courthouse) required immediate legal representation for the initial hearing within 24 hours.
Outcome: We appeared at the airport courthouse within 3 hours of receiving the call. After reviewing the case file and presenting evidence that the complaint was commercially motivated, the court ordered release without travel restrictions. The underlying complaint was later dismissed for insufficient evidence.
4. Company Formation — Foreign Direct Investment Structure
Client: Technology startup (US-based founders)
Matter: Establishing a subsidiary for software development operations
Challenge: The founders needed a corporate structure that qualified for investment incentives, maintained compliance with US FCPA requirements, and allowed efficient repatriation of profits. Work permits were needed for two non- directors.
Outcome: We established a limited liability company (Ltd. Şti.) registered in the Commerce Registry, obtained investment incentive certificates from the Ministry of Industry, secured work permits for both directors within 45 days, and structured a compliant profit distribution mechanism. The company became operational within 8 weeks of engagement.
5. Consumer Protection — Unfair Commercial Practices
Client: Group of 12 foreign property buyers
Matter: Collective action against a real estate developer for misleading sales practices
Challenge: The developer had marketed off-plan properties to foreign nationals with amenity promises (pool, gym, commercial center) that were never delivered. Individual claims were below the threshold for commercial court jurisdiction, but the collective damage was substantial. Language barriers complicated evidence gathering from buyers in 5 different countries.
Outcome: We filed consumer arbitration applications for each buyer through the Consumer Arbitration Committees (Tüketici Hakem Heyeti), supported by our multilingual team’s direct communication with each client in their native language. 11 of 12 cases resulted in compensation awards, with the developer complying after enforcement proceedings were initiated.
Disclaimer: Past results do not guarantee future outcomes. Each legal matter depends on its specific facts and circumstances. The case summaries above are anonymized and simplified for illustrative purposes. For a confidential assessment of your situation, please contact us.