Divorce, child custody, alimony, property and foreign marriage under Turkish law, explained in plain English for expats and international families.
Speak to a Family Lawyer Read the GuideIf you are a foreign national dealing with a family matter in Turkey, the legal system can feel opaque, and the language barrier makes it harder. This guide sets out the essentials in plain terms, so you know what to expect before you take the next step. For representation on your specific case, you can reach the family law team at Bayraktar Attorneys through the links on this page.
Turkish family matters are governed mainly by the Turkish Civil Code, with cross-border questions handled under Turkey's rules on private international law. Where spouses hold different nationalities, the applicable law is decided by those rules, which is why early advice matters.
A Turkish court can hear your divorce when either spouse lives in Turkey. As a rule it applies the law both spouses share by nationality; where they share none, Turkish law applies.
A divorce granted in another country does not automatically apply in Turkey. Before your Turkish records can be updated, the judgment has to be recognized by a Turkish court, and enforced where it orders payment. This is a distinct court procedure and is worth handling with a lawyer.
When a court decides custody, one consideration comes first: the welfare of the child. The judge weighs the child's age, bonds, stability and each parent's ability to provide care. Foreign parents stand on equal footing with Turkish parents.
Where a child has been wrongfully taken to or kept in Turkey, the 1980 Hague Convention on International Child Abduction may apply, and return proceedings can be brought.
Turkish law provides for spousal and child support, set according to each party's means and needs. Under the default property regime, assets acquired during the marriage are generally shared, while assets owned beforehand usually stay separate.
Foreign nationals can marry in Turkey, and couples may sign a marital property agreement to set their own terms instead of the default regime. This is often sensible for international couples who own assets in more than one country.
Explore 40 detailed guides on Turkish family law, from how to divorce as a foreigner and child custody for foreign parents to alimony and prenuptial agreements.
Bayraktar Attorneys handles divorce, custody, alimony and cross-border family matters for foreign clients across Turkey, in English.
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