Internet Law · Turkey
Find an internet lawyer in Turkey who handles online disputes
Online disputes in Turkey are handled inside a codified civil-law system in which every filing is made in Turkish. Tell us what happened — a defamatory post, a counterfeit listing, a platform contract or a data incident — and we match you with a lawyer who works on internet-related matters.
- Lawyers registered with a Turkish Bar Association
- First reply typically within 24–48 hours
- Free matching, with no obligation to instruct
Free and confidential. Your details are shared only with the lawyer matched to your enquiry.
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Tell us about your situation and receive a free, confidential case review.
Why this page exists
Online problems become Turkish legal problems quickly
An online business, a defamatory post, a hijacked account or a cross-border e-commerce dispute rarely stays digital for long. When a problem escalates in Turkey it moves into a legal system that is codified, court-based and conducted in Turkish. That is where an internet lawyer in Turkey earns their place: someone who understands how online conduct becomes evidence, how a claim is framed, and which court or pre-litigation step comes first. On this page you can see how the Turkish framework works in practice — the language rules, the compulsory Bar membership of any lawyer who represents you, the mandatory mediation step in commercial and employment claims, the court fees and the limitation periods. If you would rather not work this out alone, describe your situation and we will match you with a lawyer who handles internet-related matters in Turkey.
Turkey in practice
The Turkish framework around an online dispute
Turkey is a civil-law country whose private law was received from the Swiss codes in the 1920s, so an online dispute is argued from statute and from how the higher courts read it. The points below are the ones that most often shape how an internet-related file proceeds.
A codified system, not a precedent-bound one
Turkey is a civil-law jurisdiction built on the reception of the Swiss Civil Code in the 1920s. Private law is codified and systematic, and Court of Cassation decisions guide interpretation. In practice an online dispute is argued from the text of the code and from how the higher courts have read it, so the framing of your claim matters from the outset.
Everything is filed in Turkish
Turkish is the official language of the State and all proceedings, filings and court documents are drafted in Turkish. Foreign-language documents need a certified translation, and foreign public documents generally require an apostille, Turkey being a party to the Hague Apostille Convention. If you do not speak Turkish, the court appoints an interpreter for hearings — but your evidence still has to arrive translated.
Who is entitled to represent you
Membership of a local Bar Association is compulsory to practise law in Turkey, and all Bars belong to the Union of Turkish Bar Associations. Admission under the Attorneyship Law requires Turkish citizenship, a Turkish law degree or recognised equivalent, a one-year internship and good standing. Representation is not generally mandatory at first instance in civil, commercial and administrative cases, but it is the norm in commercial disputes.
Mediation comes before the courtroom
Two areas now require an attempt at mediation before a case can be filed: individual labour disputes since January 2018, and commercial disputes over monetary claims and compensation since January 2019. A claim filed without first attempting mediation is dismissed on procedural grounds. For online sellers, platform contracts and payment disputes that fall into the commercial category, mediation is therefore the first step, not an optional detour.
What the court and the lawyer will cost
Court fees follow the Fees Law: a proportional judgment-and-decision fee of 68.31 per thousand of the amount in dispute, plus a fixed application fee, with one quarter of the proportional fee paid on filing and the balance at judgment. Lawyers’ fees are agreed freely but cannot fall below the annual minimum tariff published by the Union of Turkish Bar Associations. Legal aid exists for those who qualify.
The clock runs from the moment you know
Limitation periods decide whether an online claim is heard at all. Tort claims — the natural heading for defamation, image misuse or a data incident — expire two years after you learn of the harm, and in any event after ten years. Contractual claims carry a ten-year period. An appeal against a first-instance judgment must be lodged within two weeks of notification, and an administrative annulment action within sixty days.
All country details on this page are drawn from official Turkish sources — legislation published on mevzuat.gov.tr and the Union of Turkish Bar Associations — reviewed in 2025.
- Attorneyship Law No. 1136 — admission, Bar membership and representation
- Constitution of 1982 — official language and the court system
- Code of Obligations No. 6098 — limitation periods
- Commercial Code No. 6102 — mandatory mediation in commercial disputes
- Labour Courts Law No. 7036 — mediation in individual labour disputes
- Fees Law No. 492 — court fees and the minimum fee tariff
- Code of Civil Procedure No. 6100 — appeal periods
- Administrative Procedure Law No. 2577 — annulment actions
What people bring to us
Three situations we see most often
None of these is unusual, and none of them improves by waiting.
The post is still online
A defamatory review, a fake profile or a counterfeit listing keeps circulating while you try to work out which authority to approach. Screenshots pile up, the trail goes cold, and every week of delay makes the evidence harder to preserve.
Your lawyer cannot read your file
Contracts, platform terms and correspondence sit in several languages, and a Turkish court will work only from Turkish documents. Certified translations, apostilles and interpreter arrangements add steps nobody explains in advance, so a claim can stall before it is filed.
The deadline passes quietly
Limitation periods are not suspended because you are negotiating with a platform, and the shorter ones are unforgiving. Tort-based claims run from the moment you know of the harm — often the day the post appeared, long before you decide what to do.
How matching helps
What you get from us
A short, focused route from your problem to a lawyer who can act on it.
Matched to a lawyer who handles online matters
We look for lawyers registered with a Turkish Bar who work on internet-related disputes — defamation, platform contracts, e-commerce, data incidents. You get a name, a practice and a route forward, not a directory listing to sift through yourself.
A first reply within 24–48 hours
You send one description of the problem. We route it to a suitable lawyer and come back with an answer, usually within a day or two, so the limitation clock stops being something you worry about alone.
Turkish procedure, explained in your language
Your lawyer handles the Turkish filings and the court; you receive the explanation in English. Translations, apostilles and interpreter arrangements are identified early instead of surfacing as surprises mid-case.
No charge to be matched
Matching is free and carries no obligation. You decide whether to instruct the lawyer, on a fee agreed with them and never below the minimum tariff published by the Union of Turkish Bar Associations.
Where clients come from
Cross-border enquiries we handle
Online disputes rarely respect borders, and Turkish files frequently involve a client, a platform or a counterparty elsewhere. These are the countries most often involved in the enquiries we route to Turkish lawyers.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
Do I need an internet lawyer in Turkey if my business is based abroad?
If the person you are pursuing, the platform’s Turkish operation or the relevant assets are in Turkey, the case will be heard there, in Turkish, under Turkish procedure. A lawyer registered with a Turkish Bar is the only person who can represent you in court, and early advice helps you decide whether the claim is worth bringing at all.
Can a Turkish lawyer deal with me in English?
Correspondence with your lawyer can be in English, but the proceedings themselves cannot: Turkish is the official language of the State and every filing and court document must be in Turkish. Foreign-language evidence needs a certified translation, foreign public documents generally need an apostille, and the court appoints an interpreter for hearings where a party does not speak Turkish.
Is mediation compulsory before suing over an online commercial dispute?
In many cases, yes. Since 1 January 2019, commercial disputes concerning monetary claims and compensation require an attempt at mediation before a claim is filed, and since 1 January 2018 the same applies to individual labour disputes. A claim filed without that step is dismissed on procedural grounds, so mediation is usually the first move rather than an optional extra.
How long do I have to bring an online claim in Turkey?
It depends on how the claim is framed. Tort-based claims, which is where defamation, image misuse or a data incident usually sit, expire two years after you learn of the harm and in any event after ten years. Contractual claims carry ten years. An appeal against a first-instance judgment must be lodged within two weeks of notification.
What will a Turkish lawyer and the court cost?
Fees are agreed freely between you and the lawyer, but they may not fall below the minimum tariff the Union of Turkish Bar Associations publishes each year; the losing party may be ordered to pay part of the winner’s lawyer’s costs. Court fees are proportional, at 68.31 per thousand of the amount in dispute, with one quarter payable on filing. Legal aid is available where the conditions are met.
What happens after I send my enquiry?
We read your description, identify the type of internet-related matter involved and route it to a lawyer registered with a Turkish Bar who works in that area. You normally receive a first reply within 24 to 48 hours, free of charge, and you then decide whether to instruct the lawyer.
Next step
Tell us what happened online
Describe the post, the listing, the contract or the data incident in a few lines, with dates where you have them. We will match you with a lawyer in Turkey who handles internet-related disputes and who can tell you what the next procedural step looks like.