Turkey: Contracts and Commercial Law

Türk Tahkim Akademisi (“TTA”), 5 Nisan 2021 tarihinde Cumhurbaşkanlığı Genel Sekreterliği, İbn Haldun Üniversitesi ve İstanbul Ticaret Üniversitesi arasında imzalanan “Tahkim Akademisi İş Birliği Protokolü” kapsamında kurulmuştur. TTA çatısı altında hazırlanan “Tahkimde Hakemlerin Bağımsızlık ve Tarafsızlığının Sağlanması Konusunda Şeffaflığa İlişkin Kılavuz İlkeler” (“TTA Kılavuz İlkeleri”), İstanbul Finans Merkezi’nde düzenlenen bir törenle İstanbul Tahkim Merkezi (“ISTAC”), İstanbul Ticaret Odası Tahkim ve Arabuluculuk Merkezi (“İTOTAM”), Türkiye Odalar ve Borsalar Birliği (“TOBB”) ve Enerji Uyuşmazlıkları Tahkim Merkezi (“EDAC”) tarafından

The Turkish Arbitration Academy (“TTA”) was established within the framework of the “Arbitration Academy Cooperation Protocol” signed on 5 April 2021 between the Secretariat of the Presidency of the Republic of Türkiye, Ibn Haldun University, and Istanbul Ticaret University. The “Guidelines on Transparency in Ensuring the Independence and Impartiality of Arbitrators” prepared under the umbrella of TTA (“TTA Guidelines”), were signed by Istanbul Arbitration Centre (“ISTAC”), Istanbul Chamber of Commerce Arbitration and Mediation Center (“İTOTAM”), Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Türkiye (“TOBB”), and Energy Disputes Arbitration Center (“EDAC”) at a ceremony held at the Istanbul Finance Center and were published on 7 November 2025 (TTA Guidelines, pp. 1–8).

A new bill submitted to Turkey's parliament establishes a comprehensive regulatory framework requiring foreign digital accommodation platforms to obtain authorization, appoint local representatives, and comply with strict operational requirements including commission caps and service restrictions. The legislation introduces significant penalties for non-compliance, including access blocking and substantial fines for platforms operating without proper certification.

Commercial sales contracts are subject to special regulations designed to ensure the smooth and secure conduct of commercial transactions between merchants, in accordance with the provisions of the Turkish Commercial Code (“TCC”) and the Turkish Code of Obligations (“TCO”). In this context, certain burdens and statutes of limitations have been established to ensure that the buyer can exercise their rights in the event the goods sold are defective and to prevent such rights from prolonging uncertainty in ongoing legal relationships.

Ticari satış sözleşmeleri, Türk Ticaret Kanunu (“TTK”) ve Türk Borçlar Kanunu (“TBK”) hükümleri çerçevesinde tacirler arası ticari hayatın seri ve güvenli yürümesini temin edecek özel düzenlemelere tabidir. Bu kapsamda, satılan malın ayıplı olması halinde alıcının haklarını kullanabilmesi ve bu hakların süregelen hukuki ilişkilerdeki belirsizliği uzun süre devam ettirmemesi adına birtakım külfetler ve zamanaşımı süreleri öngörülmüştür.

The speed and transactional certainty required by commercial life impose a higher standard of diligence on merchants in sales relationships compared to ordinary contractual relationships. One of these obligations concerns the buyer’s duty to inspect the goods within the prescribed period and to notify the seller of any defects identified.

Under Transitional Article 15, added to the Turkish Commercial Code by Law No. 7511 published in the Official Gazette on 29 May 2024, the countdown has begun for joint-stock companies (A.Ş.) and limited liability companies (Ltd. Şti.) whose share capital falls below the prescribed minimum amount.

Trademark squatting has become increasingly prevalent in Turkey, with bad faith applicants targeting internationally registered marks not yet protected in the Turkish market. Recent decisions from the Turkish Patent and Trademark Office demonstrate a broad, rights-holder-friendly approach to combating this practice, particularly when foreign marks are identically copied.

Kira sözleşmeleri, tarafların karşılıklı edimlerinin kanun tarafından önemli ölçüde düzenlendiği sözleşme türlerinden biridir. Bununla birlikte, özellikle konut ve çatılı işyeri kiralarında uygulamada tarafların, Türk Borçlar Kanunu'nda ("TBK") öngörülen yükümlülüklerin ötesine geçen çeşitli sözleşmesel düzenlemeler yaptıkları görülmektedir.