Foreign nationals living in Sakarya, Kocaeli, Düzce and the surrounding districts who receive a residence permit refusal or a removal decision face a practical question before any legal one: which court, and how quickly? Administrative litigation in Türkiye follows the deciding authority, not the applicant, and for decisions taken by the Sakarya Governorate that means the administrative court with jurisdiction over Sakarya. This article explains how these cases run locally and what applicants in the region should know.
Which court hears your case
Jurisdiction in administrative proceedings follows the location of the authority that made the decision. A residence permit refusal issued by the Sakarya Provincial Directorate of Migration Management, under the Sakarya Governorate, is challenged before the administrative court with jurisdiction over Sakarya.
This holds regardless of where the applicant lives or whether they remain in Türkiye at all. A person refused in Sakarya who has returned to their own country still litigates in Sakarya, through a lawyer.
Appeals from the first-instance decision lie to the regional administrative court (bölge idare mahkemesi) with appellate jurisdiction over the province.
The two deadlines, again
Every case in this category begins with a date, and the two that matter are entirely different:
- Residence permit refusal, extension refusal, long-term permit refusal, restriction code: sixty days from notification, under the Administrative Procedure Law No. 2577.
- Removal (deportation) decision: seven days from notification, under Article 53 of Law No. 6458. The court decides within fifteen days and its decision is final.
Where a person is in administrative detention, a third route runs in parallel: an application to the magistrate's court in criminal matters against the detention, which the judge concludes within five days.
Applicants in the region regularly present with a decision that is already three weeks old, having spent that time seeking advice informally. For a permit refusal there is still time. For a removal decision there is not.
What these cases look like locally
Sakarya has a substantial foreign population — students at the universities, workers in the industrial belt around Adapazarı and Hendek, families settled over many years, and a significant community with long-standing ties to the region. The cases that reach the administrative court reflect that population rather than the investor profile more common in Istanbul.
In practice the recurring categories are:
- Extension refusals where the applicant's circumstances changed — a course completed, employment lost, a purpose that no longer fits.
- Family residence permit refusals where a marriage has been assessed under Article 37.
- Student permit problems arising from enrolment interruptions or unauthorised work.
- Unauthorised work findings in the industrial and agricultural sectors, with the fines and codes that follow.
- Removal decisions following any of the above.
- Restriction code annulments, often years after the events that produced the code.
How the procedure runs
Administrative litigation is written. The petition is filed with the court, the administration files its defence, the applicant replies, the administration may file a rejoinder, and the court gives judgment. Hearings occur but are frequently dispensed with, and an applicant's personal attendance is not usually required.
The court will require the administration to produce the file underlying its decision. In cases resting on an assessment rather than a document — "the stated purpose is not genuine", "the marriage is one of convenience", a security assessment — this is often where the case is effectively decided: either a substantiated basis appears in the file, or it does not.
Where implementation of the decision would cause harm that is difficult to remedy, the petition should also seek a stay of execution. The stay is decided far sooner than the main case and frequently determines what happens to the applicant in the meantime.
Timescales
First-instance decisions in permit cases commonly take several months to a year, varying with the court's workload. Stay applications are decided much sooner. Removal cases are decided within fifteen days by statute.
Appeals to the regional administrative court add further months. Where the consequence is serious, that period is usually worth it; where the defect is documentary and curable, a fresh application is generally faster than litigation.
What to bring to a first meeting
- The decision document in full, with the envelope or delivery record showing the notification date.
- Your passport, with entry and exit stamps.
- Every previous residence permit card.
- The application file as submitted, including insurance policy, lease, bank statements and photographs.
- Address registration document.
- Evidence of ties: marriage and birth certificates, children's school registration, employment records, title deeds, medical reports.
- Any fine notices or previous correspondence with the authorities.
Bringing this material to the first meeting rather than the third saves days that, in a seven-day case, do not exist.
Acting for clients who have left
A substantial share of these cases is conducted for people who are no longer in Türkiye. A power of attorney granted at a Turkish consulate abroad, or before a foreign notary with apostille, allows a lawyer to file the petition, conduct the proceedings, receive notifications and take the case through appeal.
Because the procedure is written, the applicant's absence makes little practical difference to the conduct of the case. What makes a difference is the time lost while a power of attorney is obtained, which is why it should be arranged at the same time as instructions are given rather than afterwards.
Frequently asked questions
I live in Kocaeli but was refused by the Sakarya Governorate. Where do I sue? Jurisdiction follows the deciding authority.
Can I bring the case myself? Representation is not formally compulsory, but these cases turn on the petition and the evidence attached to it, drafted against a limitation period in Turkish.
Will I have to attend a hearing? Usually not. The procedure is principally written.
Can I stay in Türkiye during the case? Litigation alone does not confer status. Where removal is in prospect, a stay of execution is the protection to seek.
How much does it cost? Court fees are modest; legal fees vary with complexity. Bar association legal aid is available to those without means.
What if I win? The decision is annulled and the administration must act in accordance with the judgment. That is not always an immediate grant.
What if the deadline has passed? The remedy is generally lost. Where notification was defective there may be an argument — raise it immediately rather than after further delay.
Local practice, national law
The law applied in Sakarya is the same law applied everywhere in Türkiye. What differs locally is the mix of cases, the workload of the court, and the practical familiarity that comes from appearing regularly before the same institutions.
Dural Hukuk is based in Sakarya and conducts residence permit, removal, restriction code and family permit litigation before the administrative courts in the region, for clients living locally and for clients who have already left Türkiye. Call +90 535 260 74 54 or use the contact form on this site.
This article is general information on Turkish law as at August 2026 and is not legal advice. Time limits are strict; obtain advice promptly on receiving any decision.