A recurring question from investors in the Gulf, Europe and Central Asia: can this be done without me flying to Türkiye repeatedly? For most of the process, yes. A properly drafted power of attorney allows a Turkish lawyer to buy the property, open the bank account, obtain the certificate of conformity, apply for the residence permit and lodge the citizenship application. What cannot be delegated is one appointment at the end. This article explains where the line falls and how to get the document right the first time.
What a Turkish power of attorney is
A power of attorney (vekâletname) is a formal authorisation by which one person empowers another to act on their behalf. In Türkiye it is a notarial instrument, and its scope is interpreted strictly: an attorney may do what the document says, and nothing beyond it.
That strictness is the single most important thing for a foreign client to understand. Turkish registries and banks do not read powers of attorney generously. A land registry officer presented with a document authorising the attorney to "manage my affairs in Türkiye" will refuse to complete a transfer, because the specific authority to acquire immovable property is absent. The document is not defective in the abstract — it is simply insufficient for that transaction.
Two ways to issue it from abroad
At a Turkish consulate. The consulate acts as a notary. You attend with your passport, the text is prepared in Turkish, and the resulting document is transmitted into the Turkish notarial system electronically. This is the cleanest route: no translation, no apostille, no doubt about form. The constraint is availability — consular appointments in high-demand cities can be weeks out.
Before a foreign notary, with apostille. Where the consulate is impractical, a local notary can execute the document. It must then carry an apostille under the 1961 Hague Convention if the country is a party, or consular legalisation if it is not. In Türkiye it is translated by a sworn translator and the translation notarised. More steps, but no appointment queue, and for clients in countries with efficient notarial systems it is often faster overall.
Either way, the operative text should be drafted in Türkiye before you attend. A notary abroad will happily notarise whatever you bring, including a document that will be refused at the land registry.
The photograph requirement
For transactions at the land registry — which includes every property purchase and the entry of the three-year annotation — the power of attorney must bear the grantor's photograph. This is not a matter of local practice or officer discretion. A power of attorney without a photograph will be rejected at the counter, and the appointment is lost.
It is the most common single defect in documents issued abroad, because foreign notaries do not ordinarily affix photographs and clients do not know to ask. Correcting it means repeating the entire issuing process from another country, which typically costs two to four weeks.
The same photograph requirement applies to powers of attorney for matters closely tied to personal status, including divorce and the recognition of foreign judgments.
What the document must authorise
For a full investment file, the authorities that need to appear expressly are:
- Property: to acquire immovable property, to agree the price and pay it, to sign at the land registry, to apply for and have entered the three-year annotation, to obtain title deed records and registry extracts.
- Banking: to open, operate and close accounts, naming the ability to transfer funds; some banks require the institution and the account type to be identified.
- Tax: to obtain a tax identification number and to deal with the tax office.
- Administrative: to apply to the relevant ministry for the certificate of conformity, to apply for residence permits, to lodge and follow the citizenship application, to receive notifications.
- Insurance and utilities: to take out compulsory earthquake insurance and to arrange subscriptions, which the buyer will need anyway.
- Substitution: the right to appoint a substitute attorney, so that the file does not stop if the named lawyer is unavailable.
Banks deserve a separate warning. Turkish banks routinely refuse general powers of attorney for account opening, and compliance departments differ between institutions on how specific the wording must be. Where the bank is known in advance, the text should be checked with that bank before the document is issued.
What cannot be delegated
Biometric enrolment. Identity cards and passports require the person's fingerprints and photograph, taken in person. Every family member included in the application attends, and children attend with a parent.
That is a single trip, at the end of a process that has otherwise been completed remotely.
Language
Where the grantor does not speak Turkish, a sworn interpreter must be present at execution, and the notary records that the content was translated and understood. At a Turkish consulate this is usually handled internally. Before a foreign notary it needs to be arranged, and the interpreter's participation must be recorded in the document itself.
Skipping this creates a vulnerability. A power of attorney executed by someone who did not understand its language can be challenged, and the transactions carried out under it become contestable.
Revoking it
A power of attorney can be revoked at any time, unilaterally, without giving reasons. The instrument is an azilname, issued at a Turkish consulate or a notary abroad and entered in the Turkish notarial system.
Two practical points. Revocation takes effect when it is properly registered and notified — not when you decide upon it — so acts carried out in good faith before that point may bind you. And revocation does not settle the underlying relationship: outstanding fees, and any dispute about work done, are separate questions.
A cautionary note on scope
Clients occasionally propose a very broad power of attorney "to save time". It is the wrong instinct. A power of attorney that authorises the sale of property, the taking of loans, or the giving of guarantees hands over authority that has nothing to do with a citizenship file.
The correct approach is the opposite: enumerate precisely what the file requires, include the substitution right, and leave everything else out. A well-drafted document is long because it is specific, not because it is broad.
Frequently asked questions
How long does a power of attorney remain valid? Unless the text sets an expiry date, it remains effective until revoked. Registries may query documents that are several years old.
Can one document cover my spouse and me? No. Each grantor issues their own.
Can I appoint a relative rather than a lawyer? Legally yes. Whether it is wise is another matter: land registry and ministry procedures are technical, and errors made by a well-meaning relative are not covered by professional insurance.
Does the document have to be in Turkish? It must be usable in Türkiye. Bilingual documents are common; the Turkish text governs, which is why it should be drafted here.
What does it cost? Consular and notarial fees are modest. Apostille and sworn translation add to the cost outside Türkiye. The expensive version is the one that has to be issued twice.
Can I complete the bank account remotely instead? Some banks now offer remote onboarding for non-residents. Policies differ, so the power of attorney remains the reliable route.
Will the property be registered in my name or my lawyer's? In yours. An attorney signs on your behalf; ownership is recorded in the name of the principal.
Getting the text right before you sign
Nearly every problem described above is a drafting problem, and drafting happens before an appointment is booked. The practical method is straightforward: the Turkish lawyer prepares the operative text, the client takes it to the consulate or notary, and the document comes back fit for every counter it will have to pass.
Dural Hukuk prepares this text for clients in Europe, the Gulf and Central Asia, checks it against the requirements of the specific bank and land registry involved, and acts under it through the whole investment file. 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. Requirements differ between institutions; obtain advice on your own circumstances before issuing a power of attorney.