Recognition & Enforcement

Recognition & Enforcement — Having a German Divorce Recognised in Turkey

Foreign court decisions are not automatically valid in Turkey — we make them legally effective.

If your marriage was divorced in Germany, that judgment does not automatically take effect in Turkey. For the divorce to be considered valid under Turkish law, a separate court procedure is required — called Tanıma ve Tenfiz (Recognition and Enforcement).

For Turkish-origin families in Mannheim, Heidelberg and the Rhine-Neckar region, this procedure is often unknown — with far-reaching consequences. Without Tanıma, Turkish authorities still consider your marriage to be subsisting. This can cause significant problems when remarrying, in inheritance matters or when transferring assets in Turkey.

Avukat Hasan Doğru is a member of the Ankara Bar and advises exclusively on Turkish law. We conduct the entire Tanıma ve Tenfiz procedure for you — fully without travel to Turkey.

What we do for you:

If your marriage was divorced in Germany and you want this divorce to be effective in Turkey, we conduct the full Tanıma procedure before the competent Turkish courts — from the preparation of all necessary documents through to the legally binding recognition. You do not need to appear personally in Turkey.

If enforcement is also required — for example for maintenance payments, division of assets or custody decisions — we bring the Tenfiz proceedings and ensure the judgment is enforceable and actually implemented in Turkey.

Turkish judgments do not automatically take effect in Germany either. If you were divorced in Turkey and want this divorce to be officially recognised in Germany, we examine the requirements and initiate the recognition procedure at the competent German authority.

With a litigation power of attorney we represent you fully before Turkish courts — no personal appearance in Turkey required. Many of our clients from Mannheim and across Germany conduct the procedure entirely remotely. We handle documents, translations, court correspondence and deadlines.

German custody and access judgments must be recognised in Turkey through a separate Tanıma procedure before they are enforceable there. We conduct this procedure before Turkish courts and ensure your custody arrangement has legal standing in Turkey.

Cross-border adoptions require mutual recognition of the adoption order in both countries. This procedure is complex and requires close cooperation with authorities in both countries. We accompany you legally through every step.

Not only divorce judgments but also other German court decisions — for example in inheritance law, contract law or maintenance orders — can be recognised and declared enforceable in Turkey. We examine your case and initiate the relevant procedure.

From the outset we give you a realistic assessment — how long the procedure takes, which documents are needed, what costs will arise. No hidden fees, no unrealistic promises.

How does the Tanıma ve Tenfiz procedure work?

Step 1 — Document preparation:

We examine which documents are required — generally the final divorce judgment with apostille and a certified Turkish translation — and coordinate the procurement of all documents.

Step 2 — Application:

We submit the Tanıma application to the competent Turkish court (Asliye Hukuk Mahkemesi) and represent you as your authorised lawyer.

Step 3 — Court proceedings:

The Turkish court examines whether the conditions for recognition are met — in particular whether the foreign judgment is final and does not violate Turkish public policy (ordre public).

Step 4 — Final recognition:

Once the recognition decision becomes final we inform you immediately and initiate all necessary follow-up steps — for example the change of marital status in Turkish registers.

Why Doğru Kanzlei for Tanıma ve Tenfiz in Mannheim?

The Tanıma ve Tenfiz procedure may sound technical — and it is. Errors in document preparation, incorrect translations or missed deadlines can delay the entire procedure by months or result in rejection. Avukat Hasan Doğru knows the requirements of Turkish courts precisely and ensures your application is correct from the outset.

As a member of the Ankara Bar with an office in Mannheim and a second office in Ankara, we are the direct point of contact for Turkish-origin clients in the Rhine-Neckar region.