Documents: Turkish to English Turkish → English
Turkish signature circular (imza sirküleri) translation
Certified English translation of a Turkish notarial signature circular (imza sirküleri) showing who may sign for a company, singly or jointly, with specimen signatures, and of the single-person signature declaration (imza beyannamesi), for UK banks, counterparties, solicitors and conveyancers.
What the receiving body requires
“If you need to certify a translation of a document that's not written in English or Welsh, ask the translation company to confirm in writing on the translation: that it's a ‘true and accurate translation of the original document’; the date of the translation; the full name and contact details of the translator or a representative of the translation company.”
Source:
· checked 29 August 2026What a signature circular is
A signature circular (imza sirküleri) is a notarial document that tells the outside world who may sign for a Turkish company and how. The notary prepares it from the company's registry record and the gazette announcement of the appointment, and it sets out each authorised person's name and title, the source of the authority (the general assembly or board decision, with its date and the gazette issue in which it was announced), whether the person signs alone (münferiden) or jointly with another (müştereken), any limits by amount or subject, and the period of the authority. Under each entry the person signs three times, and those specimen signatures are what a bank compares. A simpler cousin, the signature declaration (imza beyannamesi), records a single person's specimen signature and is given at a notary or, since the Commercial Code was amended, at the registry office. Turkish public bodies stopped demanding circulars from companies in 2022, but banks and foreign counterparties still rely on them.
We translate the full text, the authority table, the references to decisions and gazette issues, the notary's attestation, seal, journal number and fee stamp, and we describe each specimen signature in square brackets against the name it belongs to.
Who asks for it in the UK
- Banks. A mandate for a UK account held by a Turkish company, and the check that a payment instruction was signed by someone entitled to give it. Bank mandate requirements are covered on translations for banks and mortgage lenders.
- Counterparties and solicitors. Before a contract with a Turkish company is signed, the UK side wants to know that the signatory can bind it and whether a second signature is needed.
- Conveyancers and HM Land Registry. When a Turkish company executes a deed over English land, the registry expects evidence of the company's authority to execute, usually in a lawyer's certificate that draws on the circular and the articles. Read translations for HM Land Registry.
- Banks in trade finance, checking signatures on documents presented under a letter of credit.
What the translation must contain
The bodies above accept a translation certified in the gov.uk form quoted below, with the date and the translator's or company's name and contact details, which our certificate supplies. The words münferiden and müştereken are the heart of the document and are translated as singly and jointly, with the Turkish kept in brackets; a limit such as 500.000 TL'ye kadar is given as up to TRY 500,000 with the Turkish number format converted to the English one. Titles are translated and the Turkish title retained: yönetim kurulu başkanı (chairman of the board), müdür (manager, the statutory officer of a limited company).
Why circulars are rejected
The commonest reason is age. A circular records authority as it stood on its date, and if a director has since resigned or a term of office has expired, the circular is out of date even though it is genuine. Before ordering the translation, check the latest gazette announcement, and translate the two together if the bank asks for the basis of the authority. A second reason is the missing board or assembly decision: a UK bank asking for a board resolution and specimen signatures wants both the decision (karar) and the circular. The third is the apostille, which some banks require on any foreign notarial document; it is issued at the kaymakamlık of the notary's district, and for Ankara notaries we can obtain it for £15.
Price and turnaround
A circular is 1 to 3 pages of 1,000 characters, £10.00 to £30.00, and the underlying decision one or two more. Certification is included and there is no UK VAT. The certified PDF is delivered in 1 to 2 working days, or the same day with the fast option for files received before 11:00 UK time. A signed hard copy comes by courier from Ankara for £30. Without a UK office we cannot offer collection.
What you receive
- Translation of the circular with each signatory's authority, its source, limits and duration, and specimen signatures described against the right name
- Translation of the board or assembly decision where supplied
- Certificate in the gov.uk wording, dated and signed, with company details
- Certified PDF by e-mail; courier hard copy optional
Frequently asked questions
The bank in London asks for a board resolution and specimen signatures. Is the circular that?
Partly. The circular supplies the specimen signatures and the scope of authority; the board or assembly decision (karar) that appointed the signatories is the resolution. Translate both, and the bank has the set it asked for.
What is the difference between a circular and an imza beyannamesi?
A circular covers a company's signatories and their powers; a declaration records one person's signature and says nothing about authority. Banks want the circular; the declaration is used at the registry.
Our circular is four years old. Will it still be accepted?
Only if nothing has changed. If a signatory has left or a term has ended, the bank will reject it, so obtain a new circular first; a notary issues one in a day from the current registry record.
Are the specimen signatures reproduced in the translation?
No. They are described as specimen signatures against the name they belong to, and the copy of the original attached to the translation shows them. A reader compares signatures against the original, not the translation.
Do we also need the gazette?
If the bank asks for the basis of the authority, yes: the announcement of the appointment is what the circular cites. It is usually one page and we translate it with the circular.