Turkey
Vulnerable Persons in Turkey
Adults
1 - Does your legal system provide for lasting powers of attorney for persons who wish to nominate someone close to them as their guardian in case of loss of legal capacity owing to an accident or illness?
No. The legal system in Turkey does not provide for lasting powers of attorney. They will be valid until the time of losing the legal capacity.
If not:
- Why does your legal system not provide for lasting powers of attorney (e.g. public policy)?
Because the person who has lost the legal capacity, will not have the right to abolish the power of attorney in case of necessity. The person who loses his legal capacity is called limited person in Turkish Law and limited persons cannot use the said right and the law does not accept the limitation on actions.
- Can the aim of a lasting power of attorney be achieved, even partially, by other legal means?
Normally, the authorisation ends in case of the death of the person who appoints the attorney. The Turkish legal system provides for lasting powers of attorney which were given for certain and specific aims (e.g. for a certain property etc.), after the death, on condition to be declared the lasting wish in the content of the document (Unusual).
2 - Does your legal system provide for an advance decision on medical treatment for persons who, as a result of an accident or illness, are no longer able to express their wishes with regard to undergoing or refusing medical treatment?
No.
If not:
- Why does your legal system not provide for advance decisions (e.g. public policy)?
There is no legal basis for advance decision so that does not exist in practise but if the legislator decides to prepare the legal basis it may be possible.
- Can the aim of an advance decision be achieved, even partially, by other legal means?
There is no way for living persons. The advance decision is acceptable only for appointment of testamentary executor/s with a last will in order to provide administration of estates after death.
3 - Does your legal system provide for the right to request that a trusted person be named as guardian in case of future incapacity?
No.
If not:
- Why does your legal system not provide for notarised powers of attorney (e.g. public policy)?
There is no legal basis for this right so that does not exist in practise but if the legislator decides to prepare the legal basis it may be possible.
4 - Which authority has international, territorial and material jurisdiction to appoint legal guardians?
If the appointment is about a Turkish citizen, the court would be authorised where the person to be appointed legal guardian, resides.
If the decision (appointment a legal advisor) is about a real property transaction of the limited person, the court has trial authorisation where the real property is localised.
Legal guardians should be appointed by the Magistrates.
5 - Is it usual practice to appoint several guardians, to deal with different matters (custody rights, administration of assets, etc.)?
6 - To what formal and material restrictions are legal guardians subject? Specifically, must they be officially approved? Must they have authorization from a court or authority to carry out certain legal acts?
7 - Under the conflict-of-law rules in force, what substantive law is applicable to:
- lasting powers of attorney?
- advance decisions to refuse treatment?
- requests made with regard to the guardian and/or circumstances of a guardianship?
- lasting powers of attorney
- advance decisions to refuse treatment
Minors
1 - Is your country party to the Hague Convention on Jurisdiction, Applicable Law, Recognition, Enforcement and Co-Operation in Respect of Parental Responsibility and Measures for the Protection of Children, which was concluded on 19 October 1996? If so, at what date did it enter into force?
- Which law applies to questions of custody and legal representation of a minor? What criteria are used to determine the applicable law?
- Which authority has international and territorial jurisdiction concerning questions of custody?
- Which authority has international and territorial jurisdiction concerning questions of representation?
2 - Up to what age is a person considered to be a minor? Are there different levels of legal capacity for minors (e.g. limited legal capacity)?
A person is considered to be a minor up to 18. The person will have legal capacity (to use his rights and to be responsible for his actions/obligations) after the age of 18. However the person who completes the age of 15 and is mentally capable to take some limited legal actions, he/she can make last will, engagement, establishment of a foundation etc. which solely belong to and can be used by him/her, in person.
- Is it possible for the legal capacity of a minor to be extended in some cases (e.g. right to get married, right to make last will)?
Marriage makes a minor (age 17 up to 18) adult. The person who completes the age of 15 and mentally capable, has right to make last will, engagement and establishing a foundation.
- Is a decision required to extend the legal capacity? If so, who is competent to decide on the extension of the legal capacity?
Marriage is possible in between the age of 17 and 18 with the family court decision as well as the parental consent (Until 17, marriage is prohibited).
3 - Who has the general right of custody of a minor?
The parents have the general right of custody of a minor.
- What is the scope of the right of custody?
The minor cannot use the rights which solely belong to him/her, until 15 (to make last will, engagement, establishment of a foundation etc.), the rights except these can be used with his/her custodian’s (parent or legal representative) reference.
- Who will appoint the custodian(s), if either one or both parents/custodians are not able to act anymore (e.g. in case of death or loss of legal capacity)?
In representation of children up to 18, custody statutory and automatically belongs to the parents and it is not subject to another approval of court or another government official. In case of death, children will be represented by living parent automatically. In case of loss of legal capacity, custody right would be given to other capable parent, in case of death of both, the said right would be given to an independent third party (a legal representative) by the family court judge according to his/her discretion.
- On who’s proposal and when the decision on appointment of custody is made?
The family court judge decides ex officio or upon the request of concerned party/parties when necessary. A public official may notice that someone has lost his/her legal capacity when the situation is detected (Notification is compulsory for notaries).
- Is the competent authority free in its choice of a new custodian?
Yes. Only the child’s interests would be taken into account on deciding by the judge of the family court.
- Can the right of custody belong to several persons? Is it possible to have different custodians for different areas (care of property/care of the child itself)?
- If the right of custody does not belong to one of the parents, it is possible to have different custodians for different areas (i.e. administration of a company or share of it, care of the child, property, foundation etc.).
- If the legal procedure is mutually and against children and in favour of parents, a trustee should have been appointed and the trustee takes place on behalf of the children against their parents in the legal procedure.
- How and by whom will the right of custody be determined if the parents are arguing about it? Is there a difference between married and unmarried couples?
If the parents are arguing about custody, the judge of the family court will decide freely by taking into account of the child’s interests. If the parents are unmarried couples then the mother will be sole custodian automatically.
- May the right of custody be transferred to another person by means of a power of attorney?
No. The right of custody cannot be transferred to another person.
- Is the consent of all custodians to the transfer mandatory?
The right of custody cannot be transferred to another person.
- Are there any restrictions to this type of power of attorney (for example the right of custody may not be transferred in its entirety?
The right of custody cannot be transferred to another person.
- What are the formal requirements for this type of power of attorney?
The right of custody cannot be transferred to another person.
4 - Who has the general right of legal representation of a minor?
The parents have the general right of legal representation of a minor. They always represent the minor together.
- Who will appoint the legal representatives, if either one or all parents/other persons) are not able to act anymore (e.g. in case of death or loss of legal capacity)?
In case of death of one parent, children will be represented by living parent automatically. In case of loss of legal capacity, custody right would be given to the other capable parent and in case of death of both, legal presentation right would be given to an independent third party (a legal representative) by the family court judge according to his/her discretion.
- On who’s proposal and when the decision on appointment of a legal representative is made?
The family court judge decides ex officio or upon the request of concerned party/parties when necessary or upon the notification of a public official.
- Is the competent authority free in its choice of a new legal representative?
Yes, only the child’s interests would be taken into account on deciding by the judge. The judge can consider the proposed candidates by the relevant parties.
- Can the right of legal representation belong to several persons? Is it possible to have different representatives for different areas?
Yes, it is possible. The judge will consider the circumstances and appoint required number of different representatives.
- Are there any restrictions / extensions for the legal representative(s)?
Yes. There are some restrictions.
The decision of legal representation should be renewed in every two years by the Magistrate. Renewal is not necessary for parents.
- Are there some areas in which the legal representative is not competent to act (e.g. drafting of a last will, entering into marriage)?
The person who completes the age of 15 and is mentally capable to take some limited legal actions (to make last will, engagement, establishment of a foundation etc.) which solely belong to and can be used by him/her, in person. The legal representative is not competent to act or giving references.
- Is there a connection between the right of custody and the representation rights (e.g. power of representation exists only in the areas of custody)? Would it be possible for both parents to have custody but for only one to have the right of representation in transactions with some property of a minor?
- In representation of children, custody statutory and automatically belongs to the parents and it is used by them together without any exception. The custody right can be transferred neither between parents nor to another party.
- Although technically deemed to be an adult, if the person does not have the legal capacity (a limited person), one of the parents can be the legal representative by the judge decision. And custody rules will then be applied instead of other legal representatives’ rules. The difference is that the custody rules provides extended authorisation and facilitates parents’ behaviours. The restrictions on the representation of limited persons are mentioned above (Adults).
- Is it required that all legal representatives conclude transactions on behalf of the minor jointly (e.g. both parents) or may the transaction be concluded by one legal representative of the minor alone (e.g. one parent)?
If parents are married, they conclude transactions jointly. If parents are divorced, one of them who is appointed as a custodian by the judge, concludes transactions alone.
- Name the legal transactions (e.g. waiver of succession) the legal representative may perform on behalf of the minor if he/she is acting alone (e.g. one parent).
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4.2.3.2 Name the legal transactions (e.g. waiver of succession) into which the legal representatives may enter on behalf of the minor only jointly (e.g. both parents).
All transactions must be entered into jointly except the transactions which are solely belong to the minor.
4.2.3.3 Would there be any difference on the requirement of joint representation in case the parents have never been married?
If parents have never been married, custody right solely belongs to the mother and the mother concludes transactions alone.
4.2.4 Other restrictions for legal representatives:
4.2.4.1 Is it necessary that the transaction to be approved also by some other person or authority (e.g. parent, court or local government)? What are the formal requirements on the form of the approval?
No.
4.2.4.2 Name the transactions that persons legally representing the minor may enter into only with the consent of a court or some other authority or person appointed by law.
4.2.4.3 In case of a mandatory approval of the transaction by another person (e.g. the other parent) or authority (e.g. court) is there any difference whether the approval is given before or after the transaction? What are the legal consequences for the transaction if the approval required by law is denied?
4.2.4.4 Are there certain cases in which the legal representatives shall not act (e.g. contract on behalf of the minor concluded with parent or family member)?
Yes. If the legal procedure is mutually and against children and in favour of parents (or for only one of them), a trustee should have been appointed and the trustee takes place on behalf of the children against their parents in the legal procedure.
- Are there any other restrictions related to the rights of a minor (e.g. the right of succession) for the persons who have the right of custody or the right of legal representation of a minor in addition to the restrictions specified above?
No.
- May the right of representation be transferred to another person by means of a power of attorney?
No.
- Is the consent of all legal representatives to the transfer mandatory?
4.4.2 Are there any restrictions to this type of power of attorney (e.g. the right of representation may not be transferred in its entirety or is cannot be transferred in regard to certain transactions)?
4.4.3 What are the formal requirements for this type of power of attorney?
5 - How can the custodian / representative prove his/her right?
- Does the law provide some kind of document, that gives evidence of the right of custody and/or representation?
The custodian can prove their right by the civil registry records and the representative must have a court decision in their possession.
- Is there any other kind of document, that proves the right of custody and/or representation?
No.
6 - According to the national law, who is responsible for giving consent/permission/authorization for a minor child to travel abroad, in the event both parents are not travelling with the child(e.g. one parent, both parents, the guardian, institution, please specify)?
Both parents are responsible for giving permission and authorization to another person to travel with the child. If they are not able to go to the same notary at the same time, they can give the permission in front of different notaries. Basically the person who will travel with the child must have permissions from both sides. If both parents will travel with the child, permission is not necessary. If one of the parents will travel with the child then the other will give the permission. If the parents are not able to act anymore, the legal guardian will give the permission.
- What are the requirements for the formal validity of such a consent/permission/authorisation?
The authorisation document must be drawn up by a notary.