FAQ topics
Confidentiality and GDPR FAQs
Who sees your documents, where they are stored, which data-protection laws apply to a Turkish company serving UK residents, how long files are kept, how to have them deleted, and how to exercise your rights.
The documents you send us contain identity, family, health, criminal-record and financial data, and we treat them accordingly. Only the project manager, translator and reviser on your order see them; files are stored on our own encrypted systems in Ankara; nothing is uploaded to public machine-translation tools. Because we offer services to people in the UK, the UK GDPR applies to us under Article 3(2) alongside Türkiye's KVKK, and you have the rights of access, correction, deletion and objection under both. Files are kept for a limited period so we can re-issue a certificate, and deleted earlier on request. The explainer confidentiality and data protection and our privacy notice give the full picture.
Frequently asked questions
Who can see my documents?
The project manager who handles your order, the translator, and the reviser who checks the translation. For notarised translations, the Turkish notary sees the document by law. Nobody else, and never for marketing, samples or training material. Special-category documents are assigned to a smaller pool of staff.
Where are my files stored?
On our own systems in Ankara, encrypted at rest with access logged to named staff. Copies received by e-mail or WhatsApp are moved to those systems and the working copies deleted from mailboxes and phones on a schedule. We do not use consumer cloud-sharing services to pass documents between translators.
Does UK GDPR apply to a Turkish company?
Yes, under Article 3(2), because we offer services to people in the UK and process their personal data in doing so. Türkiye's KVKK applies to us as well. Where a UK representative under Article 27 is required, the details are on our company information page.
Is sending my data to Türkiye an international transfer?
You send it to us directly, so you are dealing with a controller outside the UK from the outset rather than a UK organisation transferring your data abroad. Our privacy notice sets out the safeguards: access limits, encryption, retention and your rights.
How long do you keep my documents?
For a limited period after delivery, stated in the privacy notice, so that we can re-send a PDF, re-certify a translation or answer a caseworker's verification query. Invoices are kept as Turkish tax law requires. You can ask for earlier deletion at any time.
Can I have my documents deleted immediately after delivery?
Yes. Tell us when you order or afterwards and we confirm deletion in writing once it is done. Keep your own copy of the PDF, because we will not be able to re-issue or re-certify it afterwards, and a caseworker's verification query can then only be answered from our order record.
Do you use machine translation or AI on my documents?
Not on certified personal documents, which are translated by people and revised by a second linguist. Machine translation is used only in our separate post-editing service, for large non-certified texts, at the client's request, on tools whose terms exclude training on the input. Public tools are never used for any client material.
Will you tell a caseworker what is in my document if they call to verify?
No. We confirm that we issued the translation, the date and the reference number, which is all a verification needs. We do not send them a copy or discuss the content. Likewise we do not discuss your order with family members or employers who contact us without your written authority.
How do I make a subject access request or a complaint?
Write to the address on the contact page. We respond within the one-month period the UK GDPR sets. If you are not satisfied, you can complain to the UK Information Commissioner's Office or to Türkiye's Personal Data Protection Authority.
Will you sign an NDA?
Yes, for business clients and for individuals with a specific concern, before any documents are sent. Send your form or ask for ours. For most personal documents our standard confidentiality terms, which are set out in the privacy notice and our terms, already cover the same ground.