In today's globalized trade environment, many companies engage in commercial relations with other firms and conduct international trade. For this, offers are received from various countries, and the company that provides the best offer in terms of quality, price, and deadlines is selected. By the nature of trade, either the full amount or part of the agreed payment is sent, or goods are delivered. Therefore, one party takes action in trust that the other company is reliable. However, instead of immediately trusting the company's statements, conducting preliminary research can prevent potential issues in the future. At this point, gathering information about the company and conducting a check on registered companies in Turkey before starting to do business can be beneficial. In this article, we will briefly explain how to register a company in Turkey, how to see registered companies in Turkey using a trade name, and methods for Turkey company register check.
How to Register a Company in Turkey
The first step to register a company in Turkey is determining the trade name. Before deciding on it, a trade name inquiry should be conducted, and if the desired name is available, it should be reserved. After reserving the company name, the company's articles of association should be prepared, a tax identification number should be obtained for the company, and the necessary documents should be submitted to the trade registry office at the appointed time. After making the necessary payments at the trade registry office, the documents are checked for legal compliance, and if everything is in order, company registration in Turkey is completed upon registration with the Turkey company registry.
What is a Trade Name
A company name is the legal name of the company. The company name is used in all official business and relations, and signatures placed under the company name by authorized individuals bind the company. There is not complete freedom in choosing a company name. The company name can only be determined in accordance with the regulations. For joint-stock and limited companies, at least one of the business activities must be included in the trade name. According to the communiqué on trade names, abbreviations cannot be made in expressions that indicate the business activity. A trade name that has been removed from the Turkey company register cannot be re-registered under another merchant's name until five years have passed from the date of publication in the Turkey Trade Registry Gazette regarding its removal.
How to Check Registered Companies in Turkey Online
Company register in Turkey can be analyzed using the trade name of a company. So the first step in obtaining information about a company is to collect the complete name of it. Through various websites, information such as the company founders, partners, managers, address, and tax identification number can be obtained. Therefore, gathering information about a company before establishing a business relationship can give an idea of the likelihood of establishing a solid commercial relationship. Particularly for foreign firms, knowing the ownership structure, address, field of expertise, tax identification number, and declared corporate tax base of the registered companies in Turkey is essential. As a result of a Turkey company register check, it can be learned whether the person introducing themselves as the company's representative is indeed authorized, and whether the company's address and tax number have been accurately declared. For more in-depth research, one can check for lawsuits or enforcement actions against the company using its tax identification number at courthouses, or review the company's tax record. Therefore, conducting a company check in Turkey is an essential step before starting any business.
There are several methods to perform a Turkey company check. The first of these is conducting a company name inquiry via the Central Registration System (MERSIS). MERSIS is a system affiliated with the Ministry of Trade and can be used for free after signing up. To query company information via MERSIS, the company name, tax number, trade registry number, or MERSIS number can be used. The company information inquiry screen provides details such as company representatives, the tax office to which the company is affiliated, tax number, address, whether the company is active, and bankruptcy/settlement information.
Another method for checking a company registered in Turkey is querying through the chamber of commerce to which the company is affiliated. For example, for a company based in Istanbul, a query can be conducted through the Istanbul Chamber of Commerce website. To do this, the Istanbul Chamber of Commerce's website should be visited. Unlike MERSIS, the chamber of commerce allows visitors to view the titles of announcements published by the company in the Trade Registry Gazette. If you want to review announcements made by companies that frequently submit notifications to the trade registry, it may be helpful to first query company information through the chamber of commerce to find the relevant gazette's date and issue. Additionally, the chamber of commerce provides information on the company's activity code, field of operation, and establishment date.
An alternative way to conduct a Turkey company register check is through the Turkey Trade Registry Gazette by querying announcements. In the gazette, visitors research a company by using the trade name or trade registry number along with the chamber of commerce to which the company is affiliated. The gazette contains the company's articles of association, address, founder and manager details, shareholder information, and other declared matters. Looking at the trade registry gazette is one of the most comprehensive ways to obtain information about a company. However, knowing the company's affiliated chamber of commerce and name is essential. Since there may be many companies with similar names, querying the exact company name will increase consistency.
Another method for querying company information is through e-Government (e-devlet). Through e-Government, Turkish nationals can query a company's tax record by entering the tax identification number. Querying the tax record can be instructive for companies wanting to check information, as it shows the corporate income tax paid by the company in previous periods.
Query Methods Exclusive to Lawyers
While the methods mentioned above are open to public use, certain queries can only be made by lawyers. These include inquiries regarding lawsuits or enforcement proceedings initiated against the company or its partners, as well as real estate registered under the company's name.
Lawyers have broad powers under the Attorneyship Law. Every public institution is obliged to fulfill lawyers' legal requests because lawyers are a founding element of the law and advocates of rights. Therefore, lawyers can review the case or enforcement files they wish to inspect, provided there is no restriction order on the file, and can make inquiries on behalf of individuals or institutions. To query lawsuits or enforcement actions against a company, the relevant courthouses must be visited, and the file number must be learned. After obtaining the file number, the relevant court can be visited to review the file.
To query whether a company owns any real estate, the land registry office where the real estate is located must be visited. Alternatively, lawyers can use the Land Registry and Cadastre Information System (TAKBIS) to conduct inquiries relevant to their clients and learn about properties registered under a company's name. If a finalized enforcement proceeding exists against the company in question, the creditor's lawyer can also query it via UYAP (National Judiciary Informatics System).
The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.