Explainers
How we render Turkish legal terms in English
Turkish law is a civil-law system and English law is not, so many Turkish legal terms have no exact English equivalent. Our style guide explains how we choose renderings, when we keep the Turkish term, and the standard translations we use for courts, offices and documents.
The problem
A UK reader who sees “decree absolute” knows exactly what it is. A Turkish boşanma kararı with a kesinleşme şerhi is the functional equivalent, but calling it a decree absolute would tell the reader that an English court issued it. Legal translation lives between these two errors: importing an English institution that does not exist in Türkiye, or leaving a Turkish term so foreign that the reader learns nothing. Our style guide aims at renderings a UK solicitor or caseworker can act on, while making clear that the institution is Turkish.
Principles
- Descriptive equivalents, not English institutions. “Court of first instance”, not “County Court”; “annotation of finality”, not “decree absolute”.
- Turkish term retained in brackets at first mention where the term is a proper name or a term of art the reader may need to search for: “civil registry extract (nüfus kayıt örneği)”.
- Consistency within a document and across a client's documents. The same term is rendered the same way every time; our termbase enforces it.
- Proper names of institutions are translated, not transliterated, because the reader needs to know what the body is; the Turkish name follows in brackets on first mention.
- Republic of Türkiye is our default for “T.C.” on documents, following the state's registered English name; “Turkey” is used in running text on this website for readability. Either is accepted by UK bodies.
- No explanations inside the translation text. Where a reader needs one, it goes in a numbered translator's note, clearly marked.
Standard renderings
| Turkish | Our rendering | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Asliye Hukuk Mahkemesi | Civil Court of First Instance | General civil jurisdiction |
| Aile Mahkemesi | Family Court | Same name, different system; Turkish name retained |
| Sulh Hukuk Mahkemesi | Civil Court of Peace | Inheritance certificates, small claims |
| Yargıtay | Court of Cassation | Not “Supreme Court” |
| İcra Dairesi | Enforcement Office | Debt enforcement |
| Noter / noterlik | Notary / notary's office | Turkish notary has wider powers than a UK notary public |
| Kaymakamlık / Valilik | District Governorship / Provincial Governorship | Apostille-issuing authorities |
| Nüfus Müdürlüğü | Civil Registry Office | Not “Population Directorate” |
| Tapu Müdürlüğü | Land Registry Office | Turkish name retained; not “HM Land Registry” |
| Kesinleşme şerhi | Annotation of finality | Translator's note explains its effect |
| İlam | Judgment (certified copy for enforcement) | Distinguished from karar, “decision” |
| Vekaletname | Power of attorney | Type specified: general / special |
| Veraset ilamı | Certificate of inheritance | Not “grant of probate” |
| Nüfus kayıt örneği (vukuatlı) | Civil registry extract (with event history) | Never “eventful” |
| Tebligat | Service of process / served notice | Context decides |
| Velayet / nafaka | Custody / maintenance | “Child arrangements” is the English-law term and is not used |
| Adli sicil kaydı | Criminal record certificate | “Arşiv kaydı” rendered as “archive record” |
Translator's notes
Where a rendering needs context, we add a numbered note at the foot of the page. Typical notes: that a kesinleşme şerhi means no appeal is pending and the judgment is enforceable; that a Turkish notary is a state-appointed legal professional whose certificate carries evidential weight; that a nüfus kayıt örneği is issued from a continuously updated family register rather than from a single-event record. Notes are marked “Translator's note” so that a court can distinguish our explanation from the document. See legal translation and the glossary entry for kesinleşme şerhi.
Into Turkish
The same principles run the other way. A “decree absolute” becomes “kesin boşanma kararı (decree absolute)”, an LPA becomes “kalıcı vekaletname (Lasting Power of Attorney)”, and a “grant of probate” becomes “veraset ve vasiyetin tenfizi belgesi (grant of probate)”, with the English term retained so that the Turkish court or notary can identify the instrument. UK statutory references are left in English with a Turkish gloss.
Frequently asked questions
My solicitor wants “decree absolute” in the translation. Can you do that?
We will add “functional equivalent: decree absolute” in a translator's note, which gives the solicitor what they need without misdescribing the document. Changing the rendering itself would make the translation inaccurate.
Do you use a glossary for my case?
Yes. Every client has a termbase, so the terms in your divorce decree match those in your custody order and your nüfus kayıt örneği. If you have preferred renderings, tell us at the outset.
Will a UK court accept a translation with translator's notes?
Yes. Notes are standard practice and are expected in legal translation. They are numbered, marked as the translator's, and kept short.
Why “Türkiye” and not “Turkey” on my document?
The state's registered English name has been Türkiye since 2022 and it is what the document's seal says in Turkish. Both forms are understood by UK bodies; if a receiving body has asked for “Turkey”, tell us and we will use it.