Recognition and enforcement of foreign judgments in Turkey

Yes, judgments rendered by a foreign arbitral tribunal or a court are recognized and enforced in Turkiye via a judgment of a competent Turkish court provided that such judgements meet certain requirements set forth in the applicable Turkish legislation. 

2.1 Recognition in civil matters

Article 58 of the Law on International Private and Procedural Law No. 5718 (“Law No. 5718”) regulates the procedure and principles of recognition of foreign judgments in general civil matters. 

Madde 58 (Tanıma)

Article 58 (Recognition)

1. Yabancı mahkeme ilâmının kesin delil veya kesin hüküm olarak kabul edilebilmesi yabancı ilâmın tenfiz şartlarını taşıdığının mahkemece tespitine bağlıdır. Tanımada 54 üncü maddenin birinci fıkrasının (a) bendi uygulanmaz.     2. İhtilâfsız kaza kararlarının tanınması da aynı hükme tâbidir.    3. Yabancı mahkeme ilâmına dayanılarak Türkiye'de idarî bir işlemin yapılmasında da aynı usul uygulanır.

1. A verdict of a foreign court may constitute a conclusive evidence or definite judgment on the condition that the competent court establishes that the respected foreign verdict meets the requirements of the enforcement. The recognition shall not be subject to Article 54(1)(a). 2. Judicial decisions without dispute shall also be subject to the same provision. 3. The same procedure also applies to administrative transactions based on a verdict of a foreign court.

Accordingly, the conditions set forth under Article 54 of Law No. 5718 which can be found under paragraph 2.2 apply.

Enforcement in general civil matters

Article 50-57 of the Law No. 5718 regulates the procedure and principles for the enforcement of foreign judgments in general civil matters. 

Madde 50 (Tenfiz Kararı)	Article 50 (Enforcement Order)
1. Yabancı mahkemelerden hukuk davalarına ilişkin olarak verilmiş ve o devlet kanunlarına göre kesinleşmiş bulunan ilâmların Türkiye'de icra olunabilmesi yetkili Türk mahkemesi tarafından tenfiz kararı verilmesine bağlıdır. 2. Yabancı mahkemelerin ceza ilâmlarında yer alan kişisel haklarla ilgili hükümler hakkında da tenfiz kararı istenebilir.	1. The enforcement of foreign courts’ civil verdicts with regards to civil law matters that have become definite under the respected foreign state’s law shall be subject to enforcement orders to be rendered by the competent Turkish court. 2. Enforcement orders may also be requested regarding personal rights rendered within the foreign criminal courts’ verdicts.
Madde 57 (Yerine getirme ve tenfiz yolu)	Article 57 (Execution and Appeal)
1. Tenfizine karar verilen yabancı ilâmlar Türk mahkemelerinden verilmiş ilâmlar gibi icra olunur. 2. Tenfiz isteminin kabul veya reddi hususunda verilen kararların temyizi genel hükümlere tâbidir. Temyiz, yerine getirmeyi durdurur.	1. Foreign court verdicts which are granted with enforcement orders shall be executed as verdicts rendered by the Turkish courts. 2. General provisions regarding the appeal apply to the court orders as to the acceptance or dismissal of enforcement requests. The appeal shall cease the enforcement.

As per Article 54 of Law No. 5718, the following  requirements are required for the enforcement of foreign courts’ verdicts:

1. The state of the foreign court shall exercise reciprocity in terms of enforcement with Turkiye;
2. The verdict shall not have been rendered on matters that are in the exclusive scope of Turkish courts’ jurisdiction; 
3. The verdict shall not have been rendered by a court declaring itself competent although a genuine relationship does not exist between the court and the subject matter or parties (if challenged by the defendant facing enforcement);
4. The verdict shall not be explicitly contrary to public order;
5. The defendant whom enforcement is requested against shall be duly summoned and represented before the court rendered the verdict as per the respected foreign state’s laws;
6. The verdict shall not have been rendered in the defendant’s absence contrary to the respected foreign state’s laws; and
7. The defendant shall not object to the enforcement based on the grounds mentioned above before the Turkish court. 

2.2 Arbitral awards

Turkiye is a signatory to the United Nations Convention on Recognition and Enforcement of arbitral awards (“New York Convention”). According to Article 90 of the Constitution of the Turkish Republic, the New York Convention has the same weight in Turkiye as Turkish legislation. The New York Convention is therefore the main source for the enforcement of arbitral awards rendered outside Turkiye. 

As to arbitral awards rendered in a state that is not a signatory to the New York Convention, Articles 60-63 of Law No. 5718 stipulates the recognition and enforcement procedures as follows:

Madde 60 (Yabancı hakem kararlarının tenfizi)	Article 60 (Enforcement of foreign arbitral awards)
1. Kesinleşmiş ve icra kabiliyeti kazanmış veya taraflar için bağlayıcı olan yabancı hakem kararları tenfiz edilebilir. Yabancı hakem kararlarının tenfizi, tarafların yazılı olarak kararlaştırdıkları yer asliye mahkemesinden dilekçeyle istenir. Taraflar arasında böyle bir anlaşma olmadığı takdirde, aleyhine karar verilen tarafın Türkiye'deki yerleşim yeri, yoksa sâkin olduğu, bu da yoksa icraya konu teşkil edebilecek malların bulunduğu yer mahkemesi yetkili sayılır.	1. Foreign arbitral awards which have become definite and enforceable or binding for parties may be enforced. The enforcement of foreign arbitral awards are requested via a petition to be delivered to the civil court of the first instance agreed as competent by the parties in writing. If there is no such agreement between the parties, the place of residence of the defendant whom the enforcement is requested against shall be deemed competent; in the case of a lack of residence, the place of inhabitance and in the lack of inhabitance, the place of the goods which can be subject to the enforcement shall be deemed competent.
Madde 62 (Ret sebepleri)	Article 62 (Dismissal grounds)
1. Mahkeme,   a) Tahkim sözleşmesi yapılmamış veya esas sözleşmeye tahkim şartı konulmamış ise, b) Hakem kararı genel ahlâka veya kamu düzenine aykırı ise, c) Hakem kararına konu olan uyuşmazlığın Türk kanunlarına göre tahkim yoluyla çözümü mümkün değilse, ç) Taraflardan biri hakemler önünde usulüne göre temsil edilmemiş ve yapılan işlemleri sonradan açıkça kabul etmemiş ise, d) Hakkında hakem kararının tenfizi istenen taraf, hakem seçiminden usulen haberdar edilmemiş yahut iddia ve savunma imkânından yoksun bırakılmış ise, e) Tahkim sözleşmesi veya şartı taraflarca tâbi kılındığı kanuna, bu konuda bir anlaşma yoksa hakem hükmünün f) Hakemlerin seçimi veya hakemlerin uyguladıkları usul, tarafların anlaşmasına, böyle bir anlaşma yok ise hakem hükmünün verildiği ülke hukukuna aykırı ise, g) Hakem kararı, hakem sözleşmesinde veya şartında yer almayan bir hususa ilişkin ise veya sözleşme veya şartın sınırlarını aşıyor ise bu kısım hakkında, h) Hakem kararı tâbi olduğu veya verildiği ülke hukuku hükümlerine veya tâbi olduğu usule göre kesinleşmemiş yahut icra kabiliyeti veya bağlayıcılık kazanmamış veya verildiği yerin yetkili mercii tarafından iptal edilmiş ise, 2. Birinci fıkranın (ç), (d), (e), (f), (g) ve (h) bentlerinde yazılı hususların ispat yükü, hakkında tenfiz istenen tarafa aittir.	1. The court shall deny a request for the enforcement and approval of an arbitration award if; a) An arbitration agreement has not been made or an arbitration clause is not regulated in the articles of association, b) The arbitration award is against public morality or public order, c) The resolution of the dispute that is subject to the arbitration award is not possible through arbitration according to Turkish law, ç) One of the parties is not duly represented before the arbitrators and does not accept the proceedings afterwards, d) The party that is subject to the enforcement and approval of the arbitration award is not duly informed about the selection of the arbitrator or was deprived of the opportunity to plea and submit a defence, e) The arbitration agreement or clause is void according to the law chosen by the parties or if there is no such agreement, the law of the country in which the arbitration award was rendered, f) The selection of the arbitrators or the procedure applied by the arbitrators is contrary to the agreement of the parties, if there is no such agreement, it is against the law of the country in which the arbitral award was rendered, g) The arbitration award is concerned with an issue not covered by the arbitration agreement or clause or if it exceeds the limits of the agreement or clause, h) The arbitration award has not been finalized yet under the provisions of the law that it is subject to or the law of the respected foreign state in which it was rendered or the procedure to which it is subject to or it is not yet executory or obligatory or its nullity was decided by the competent authority of the place where the decision was rendered. 2. The burden of proof on the issues written in subparagraphs (ç), (d), (e), (f), (g) and (h) belongs to the party whom enforcement is requested against.
Madde 63 (Yabancı hakem kararlarının tanınması)	Article 63 (Recognition of foreign arbitral awards)
Yabancı hakem kararlarının tanınması da tenfizine ilişkin hükümlere tâbidir.	The recognition of foreign arbitral awards is also subject to the provisions regarding the enforcement.

Although Turkiye is a civil law country, judicial precedents are essential for the decision-making process of Turkish courts as regards the interpretation of grounds for refusal or acceptance of applications for recognition or enforcement. The Turkish Court of Appeal’s decisions focus on reciprocity, contrariness to public order and due process. 

Concerning arbitral awards, the Turkish Court of Appeal emphasis that arbitration clauses are explicit and definite, and often rejects applications for enforcement and recognition based on this matter (Turkish Court of Appeal 19th Civil Chamber, Case No: 2012/3057 Decision No: 2012/8736 D: 24 May 2012). In particular, if an arbitration agreement, either based on separate clauses or the same clause, refers to the jurisdiction of both courts and arbitral tribunals, arbitral awards rendered on the basis of such agreements are usually dismissed due to not being explicit and definite (Turkish Court of Appeal 15th Civil Chamber, Case No: 2009/1438, Decision No: 2009/2153, D: 13 April 2009). 

Beyond the assessment of compliance with the requirements set forth as to the recognition an enforcement, Turkish courts cannot review the judgments on their merits.

The time limits depend on the nature of the verdict and whether it is to be recognized or enforced. If the judgment is undisputed, it may be finalized in several weeks; however, if the recognition or enforcement of a decision is challenged before Turkish courts, it may take several years for such lawsuit to be finalized including the appeal phase. 

The defendant against whom enforcement is requested may challenge the exequatur of court verdicts and may also appeal against such exequatour judgments on the above mentioned grounds set out in Law No. 5718. 

Similarly, the opponent may appeal or contest the recognition and enforcement of the Turkish courts in relation to arbitral awards.