Relying on an old circular
Authority may have changed after the circular was issued; check its date against the latest notice.
How-to · Signing authority
How to check who can sign for a Turkish company
Signing authority in a Turkish company is registered and published: look for the latest management and representation notice, which names each authorised person and whether they sign alone or jointly. Then check the board's term of office, any internal directive limiting amounts, and the notarised signature circular. For a past contract, use the notices in force on that date.
- Five checks
- Sole or joint, explained
- Every rule with its article
Last reviewed · Ulawk editorial team · Turkish version
Method
Five checks before you accept a signature.
Work from the registry, not from the business card.
Public bodies must rely on the registry.
Public institutions take the registered representatives and the published notice as the basis and may not ask the company for other documents on this point (TTK art. 373(3)).
Find the latest representation notice
The board files a notarised copy of the resolution naming the persons authorised to represent the company and how they represent it; it is registered and published (TTK art. 373). Later notices replace earlier ones; read them in date order.
Sole or joint?
Unless the articles say otherwise, or the board has a single member, an A.Ş. is represented by two signatures (TTK art. 370). "Münferiden" means alone, "müştereken" jointly.
Check the term of office
Board members of an A.Ş. are elected for at most three years (TTK art. 362). If the last election is older, ask for the latest general assembly resolution.
Read the limits
An internal directive may grade authority by transaction and amount. Registered limits that confine authority to the head office or a branch, or require joint signature, bind third parties; other limits do not bind third parties acting in good faith (TTK art. 371).
Match the signature
A notice shows authority, not the signature itself. Compare with a notarised signature circular (imza sirküleri) issued after the latest representation notice.
By company type
Who represents which company.
The default rules; the articles and the registered resolution can change them.
| Company type | Who represents | Default rule |
|---|---|---|
| Joint-stock company (A.Ş.) | Board of directors; may delegate to executive board members or to managers | Two signatures unless the articles provide otherwise; at least one board member must keep authority (TTK art. 370) |
| Limited company (Ltd. Şti.) | Managers (müdür) appointed under the articles or by the general assembly | At least one partner must have management and representation rights (TTK art. 623); registration and publication follow the A.Ş. rules (TTK art. 629) |
Common mistakes
Four mistakes that cost counterparties.
Each of them has come up in disputes over who bound the company.
Missing a resignation or dismissal
A person who left the board can still appear on an older circular or letterhead.
One signature where two are required
Under joint representation a single signature does not bind the company on its own.
Reading only the latest notice
A notice may change one person only; read it with earlier notices to know who is still in office.
With Ulawk
Signing authority with Ulawk
On the profile of a Turkish company you follow, Ulawk works from the representation notices and quotes them.
Is this signature valid?
Enter a person and a date, optionally an amount and a transaction type. Ulawk answers Authorised, Not authorised or Undetermined, citing the source notice with a verbatim quote; anything the notices cannot establish is Undetermined.
Who was in office on a given date?
Pick a date to see the officers and manner of representation in force that day.
Officers and terms
Current and former officers with role, manner of representation and term, each tied to its notice.
API
The same check is available through the REST API for onboarding and payment approval workflows.
The result is not a legal opinion; Ulawk always advises confirming it with a current signature circular.
What do "münferiden" and "müştereken" mean in a Turkish notice?
"Münferiden" means the person may sign alone; "müştereken" means jointly, together with another authorised person named in the notice.
Can a Turkish company rely on an internal limit against us?
Only registered limits that confine authority to the head office or a branch, or require joint signature, bind third parties; other limits do not bind third parties acting in good faith (TTK art. 371(3)).
Where do I get the signature circular?
Ask the company for one dated after the latest representation notice. It is issued by a notary, or the signature declaration is made before the trade registry.
Who was authorised when a past contract was signed?
Use the notices that had taken effect on the signing date: appointments, resignations and representation resolutions registered and published before that day (TTK art. 36).
Official sources
- Turkish Commercial Code (TTK, Law 6102)mevzuat.gov.tr↗
- Türkiye Ticaret Sicili Gazetesi (TTSG)ticaretsicil.gov.tr↗
This page is general information, not legal advice.
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