Last updated: 10 October 2026
Ordinary enforcement without a judgment generally allows seven days from service to pay or object (Articles 60 and 62). Bills-of-exchange enforcement has different ten-day payment and five-day challenge periods under Article 168. The served order and statutory day-calculation rules must be checked.
Debt recovery in Türkiye depends on the document supporting the claim, the type of enforcement proceeding and valid service of the payment order. A single deadline does not apply to every payment order.
Many creditors first send a formal demand letter (ihtarname), usually through a notary. It is not a precondition for starting enforcement, but it gives the debtor a final deadline and creates dated evidence. Where no performance date was fixed, a debtor whose debt is due falls into default on receiving the creditor's notice, and default interest runs from then (Turkish Code of Obligations, Articles 117 and 120).
These are statutory day periods, not a universal “five business days” rule. Under Article 19, the day of service is excluded from a period expressed in days; if the final day is an official holiday, the period ends on the following working day. The served order and applicable service rules must be checked before calculating a deadline.
A timely objection in ordinary enforcement generally stops the challenged enforcement. The creditor must select the appropriate remedy:
Different rules apply to judgment enforcement and other special proceedings. An objection in a bills-of-exchange proceeding does not have the same automatic effect as an ordinary objection.
No. Article 67 provides for compensation of not less than 20% when its legal conditions are met and the opposing party requests it. It can concern an unjustified debtor objection or a creditor's unjustified and bad-faith proceeding. Winning the principal debt claim does not by itself establish every condition for additional compensation. See the guide to the 20% compensation rule.
Relevant material may include contracts, invoices, delivery records, account statements, correspondence, debt acknowledgements and bills of exchange. Court and enforcement charges vary with the amount and procedure. Attorney fees must be assessed separately under the applicable tariff and agreement; there is no universal USD filing-cost package.
A successful judgment or enforcement order does not guarantee collection: assets, competing claims, insolvency and available enforcement measures matter.
General information, updated 10 October 2026. The applicable procedure and deadlines require assessment of the individual file.
