A firm built around the register

What the firm does

INKO LEGAL works principally on disputes over immovable property in Turkey: annulment of title, collusive transfers within an estate, dissolution of co-ownership, pre-emption, expropriation, zoning and construction-for-land-share contracts. Criminal, employment, family, commercial and enforcement matters are handled alongside, most often because they arrive attached to a property file.

Every file starts in the same place: the land register, the deeds of conveyance, the cadastral record and the zoning certificate. In our experience the outcome of a property dispute is usually decided by what those documents say, long before anyone drafts an argument.

Working with clients abroad

A significant part of Turkish property work involves owners who are not resident in Turkey. Two practical points matter for them.

• You do not have to be in Turkey for most steps. A notarised power of attorney, executed at a Turkish consulate or before a Turkish notary, allows the file to be opened and run. Certain steps, such as a personal statement in some criminal matters, still require attendance.
• Documents from abroad need an apostille. Powers of attorney, marriage and birth certificates and company documents issued outside Turkey generally need an apostille and a sworn Turkish translation before a Turkish court or registry will accept them. Arranging this early saves a hearing.

Fees

The initial consultation is free and is used to see whether there is a legal route at all. If a file is opened, the fee and the payment schedule are agreed in writing before any work starts, together with the likely duration and the cost items that fall outside the fee, such as court fees and expert costs. Turkish bar rules do not permit published price lists, so figures are given for your specific matter rather than in general.