Legislation

Where does “sworn translator” status come from?

Türkiye has no professional statute governing translation on its own. Sworn translator status arises from article 96 of the Regulation on the Notary Public Act: the notary satisfies himself, from a diploma or other documents, that the person who will translate genuinely knows the language, then swears the translator in and draws up a record of oath. The record sets out the translator’s identity, address, level of education and languages, and is kept in a dedicated file at the notary’s office. The regulation is explicit: a notary may not have a translation done by anyone whose record of oath is not in that file.

The practical consequence is this: a sworn translator’s authority is not nationwide but tied to the notary’s office where the oath was taken. A request for “sworn translation” is met through the office at which the translator is registered.

What does notarisation add to a translation?

Under article 103 of the Notary Public Act, where a text is translated from one language into another the notary adds an annotation beneath it. If the notary has used a sworn translator, that annotation must give the translator’s identity and address, and must be dated, signed and sealed by the notary. The notary therefore attests not to the linguistic accuracy of the translation but to who produced it and that the person is sworn.

Article 104 of the Act provides that, where the translation cannot be arranged in the place where the person concerned is, the transaction may be carried out through that office at a notary elsewhere. This is the legal basis for procedures run remotely.

When does the apostille come into play?

Türkiye acceded to the Convention of 5 October 1961 Abolishing the Requirement of Legalisation for Foreign Public Documents by Law no. 3028; the text of the convention was published in the Official Gazette of 16.09.1984. Between states party to it, placing an apostille on a document replaces the chain of consular legalisation.

If the country the document is going to is not a party to the convention, consular legalisation is required instead of the apostille. Which route applies is determined by the type of document and by the body it will be submitted to; it is worth confirming with that body before you start.

Translation in court and official proceedings

Article 202 of the Code of Criminal Procedure requires the court to appoint an interpreter where the defendant or the injured party does not know enough Turkish to explain themselves; the same rule applies to suspects, injured parties and witnesses heard during the investigation. These interpreters are chosen from lists kept by the judicial justice commissions — the procedure for those lists is set out in a separate regulation. In civil proceedings, article 263 of the Code of Civil Procedure provides that a witness who does not know Turkish is heard through an interpreter.

For a foreign judgment to take effect in Türkiye, article 53 of the Act on Private International Law lists the papers required: the duly certified original or a copy of the judgment, the document showing that it is final, and a certified translation of both.

Fees, consumer rights and personal data

Notary and consular fees rest on Fees Act no. 492. These items are paid to the state and are calculated separately from the translation charge; the tariffs are updated annually.

Orders placed over the internet fall under article 48 of Act no. 6502 and the Distance Contracts Regulation. Article 5 of that regulation lists the information you must be given before ordering. The exceptions to the right of withdrawal are in article 15: because translation is a service, the test here is not “made to the consumer’s specification” but art. 15/1-h — services whose performance has begun, with the consumer’s consent, before the withdrawal period expires. That is why cancellation terms change once work has started with your approval. For the detail, see our Refund and Cancellation Policy page.

Documents sent for translation often carry identity, education, health or criminal record information; some of this is special category personal data within the meaning of Act no. 6698. We explain how we handle your documents on our Privacy Policy (KVKK) page.