Sworn Translation in Kütahya

What sets the files from Kütahya apart is that most of them hang on a tender or on a permit. Mining and ceramics production are among the fields most heavily bound by licensing and inspection rules; add the bid files of firms taking part in tenders abroad, and the character of what comes in from the province becomes clear: documents destined for an official authority, in a form that is precisely prescribed.

This puts a distinct pressure on the translation work. In an ordinary piece of commercial correspondence a small choice of register does not change the outcome; but in a qualification file, if the name, the date or the form of certification of a document differs from what is expected, the file can be rejected however accurate its content. With work from Kütahya, form is therefore discussed before content.

The tender file: a missing document means straight elimination

A firm entering a tender abroad submits a qualification file alongside its letter of tender. That file holds registry records, letters confirming that no tax or social security debt is outstanding, certificates of completed works, balance sheets and income statements, a capacity report, quality certificates and the signature circular. Tender specifications generally state in precise terms in which language and with which certification these documents are to be submitted. A single item missing or wrongly certified can mean the bid is not even taken into consideration.

For that reason, the first thing we do with a tender file is read the relevant clause of the specification. Carried out before translation, this check comes a great deal cheaper than corrections made afterwards.

Technical documents on the mining and ceramics side

• Reserve and geology reports, drilling data
• Ore and raw material analysis results
• Declarations of performance and technical specification files for ceramic products
• Environmental impact and rehabilitation reports
• Warranty, installation and maintenance contracts for imported equipment

In geology reports the point to watch is how units and coordinates are carried across. Units of measurement and coordinate systems must not be converted; they have to be reproduced as they stand, with an explanatory note. This is not a translation preference but a technical requirement.

The second flow: thermal tourism

The province’s thermal spa facilities create a third flow of demand, quite separate from mining: agency contracts, guest information texts and facility investment files. On this side German comes distinctly to the fore; on the mining and tender side English predominates. The rate for the two languages is the same: price list.

Design and trade mark registration applications

Kütahya’s ceramic and decorative tile production adds to the industrial paperwork an item that is discussed less often: intellectual property applications. A producer seeking to register a trade mark or a design abroad submits, alongside the application forms, product descriptions, explanations of the field of use and priority right documents. These texts are short but extremely formal.

The most critical part of a registration application is the classification of goods and services. The class in which the product is defined determines the scope of protection directly. The wording used in class definitions is settled in international lists; a free translation can unintentionally narrow the scope of the application or leave it open to opposition.

With priority right documents it is the exact rendering of dates and application numbers that decides matters. Because these documents generally have to be submitted within a short window, a delay in translation can mean losing the right altogether. With registration files we therefore discuss the timetable from the outset.

Meeting the closing date

With tender files you are not the one setting the timetable. Kütahya generally being a single day from Ankara by courier works in your favour when it comes to getting the certified copy there on the last day. Even so, the safest course is to send the file over on the day the specification is published and to settle from the start which document is to be submitted with which certification. We have no branch in the province; the process is carried out at the office in Ankara.