Kolcuoglu Demirkan Koçakli

The Firm

Kolcuoğlu Demirkan Koçaklı (KDK) is an independent Turkish law firm advising domestic and international clients on complex legal matters, with broad experience across a wide range of industries, including highly regulated sectors. The Firm is well regarded for its pragmatic and commercially focused approach, delivering high-quality legal services through close partner involvement and strong technical expertise.

Areas of Practice

KDK advises and represents a diverse range of clients from across the world in connection with the full breadth of Turkish law-related matters, including banking and finance, capital markets, competition law, corporate and commercial, cyber security, dispute resolution, employment, energy and infrastructure, ethics and compliance, fintech, insurance, mergers and acquisitions, personal data privacy and real estate and construction.

Banking and Finance

KDK advises on a broad range of banking and finance matters, including cross-border secured lending, portfolio restructuring, acquisition and project finance, as well as regulatory compliance.

The team regularly acts for leading financial institutions on cross-border matters and is known for handling complex financing structures. Its experience covers facility agreements, local regulatory matters, foreign exchange issues, Islamic finance, aviation finance, factoring and transfer of receivables, as well as joint creditorship structures and security arrangements, including guarantese and collateral.

Capital Markets

KDK advises on a wide range of capital markets matters, including regulatory compliance, initial and second public offerings, and the issuance of bonds and other securities.

The team has broad experience across the capital markets practice, covering public M&A, including acquisitions of listed companies, squeeze-out and de-listing structures, as well as mandatory and voluntary tender offers. The Firm also advises on venture capital investment funds, derivatives and foreign exchange transactions, issuance of American Depositary Receipts, and a wide range of investment services and regulatory matters.

Competition Law

KDK’s experienced competition law team provides services in all aspects of competition law, including investigations conducted by the Turkish Competition Authority, complex and multijurisdictional merger control filings, individual exemption applications, as well as design and implementation of merger remedies.

KDK represents clients vis-à-vis the Turkish Competition Authority and coordinates the relevant processes, ensuring efficient and timely outcomes. The Competition Law team provides legal advice in connection with the compliance of clients’ commercial agreements and business conduct with Turkish competition law, combining legal precision with a strong understanding of commercial realities.

The team also provides competition law compliance programs, tailored to best suit the sectoral needs of its clients and designed to offer practical, business-oriented guidance, while keeping them current with the dynamic competition law regime.

KDK also advises on competition law litigation and appeal proceedings arising from decisions of the Turkish Competition Authority.

Corporate and Commercial

KDK advises small, medium-sized and large-scale domestic and international companies in connection with all legal matters regarding their transactions, including commercial and corporate law matters as well as contracts.

The Corporate & Commercial team is very active in a broad range of sub-practice areas, including contract negotiations, corporate governance and compliance, corporate structuring, tenders, anti-bribery and corruption matters and market regulations. This integrated structure allows the Firm to support complex transactions with seamless corporate and regulatory advice. By knowing the challenges in different sectors, the team assists the clients throughout every stage of their business cycle.

Cyber Security

KDK advises clients on the legal, regulatory and compliance aspects of cybersecurity, with particular focus on managing legal, operational and reputational risks in an increasingly complex and fast-moving threat landscape. The Firm supports clients in meeting their obligations on system security and incident response, and in developing compliance frameworks that are both robust and proportionate to their business.

In addition to advisory work, KDK places a strong emphasis on awareness and capacity building, delivering internal and client-facing training on regulatory developments, emerging cyber security risks and practical mitigation strategies. Drawing on its broader  regulatory and compliance experience, KDK approaches cybersecurity as a core component of effective business management.

Dispute Resolution

KDK represents Turkish and foreign clients in a wide range of disputes before Turkish courts as well as arbitral tribunals under institutional and ad hoc arbitration rules. KDK’s dispute resolution team is well-versed in internationally recognized rules and practices and carefully analyze the nuances of each dispute to provide a comprehensive cost-benefit analysis that supports each client’s commercial interests and goals.

The Firm represents clients throughout the lifecycle of disputes, from initial strategizing to post-resolution enforcement, in matters involving high-value M&A transactions, shareholder conflicts, construction contracts, intellectual property rights, sales agreements, agency and distributorship agreements, lease agreements, operation contracts and financing transactions.

Employment

KDK provides top-tier employment law advice for both Turkish and international clients, covering sophisticated and high-stakes employment law matters throughout the employment lifecycle. The Firm’s services range from drafting and negotiating employment contracts to managing the unilateral or bilateral termination of employment relationships, and representing clients in mediation proceedings and employment law disputes, including labor union-related claims.

The KDK team advises clients on internal regulations and policies, including working hours, annual leave, disciplinary rules, in-service training and occupational health and safety, as well as compliance-driven internal procedures and investigations.

Energy and Infrastructure

With strong expertise and know-how in the energy sector, KDK offers sector-specific advice on local and international energy and infrastructure projects.

KDK provides extensive legal advice on electricity, natural gas, petroleum, LPG, renewable energy and nuclear energy matters, including issues relating to natural gas and oil import, wholesale, storage and export activities, as well as electricity market transactions and greenfield investments in Türkiye.

KDK assists clients in tenders for the privatization of state-owned power plants and advises leading multinational infrastructure companies on multi-hundred-million-dollar infrastructure projects, including PPP projects involving EPC contracts. The team also has significant experience assisting private sector players in the development of landmark and strategically significant projects with Turkish public entities.

KDK has been involved in some of the most significant energy and infrastructure projects in the region, advising on large-scale, cross-border developments. The Firm acted as Turkish counsel on the Shah Deniz Stage II Project and played a key role in the Trans Anatolian Natural Gas Pipeline Project (TANAP). KDK also advises leading international energy traders, including Vitol, on high-value acquisitions and downstream fuel operations in Türkiye.

Ethics and Compliance

KDK advises domestic and international clients on all aspects of Turkish and international anti-corruption and anti-bribery laws, supporting compliance with applicable regulations. The team’s work includes preparing and implementing internal codes of conduct, as well as corporate compliance and ethics policies.

The Firm also advises on the legal, procedural, governance and reputational aspects of compliance matters, investigations and related disputes, combining local insight with cross-border experience.

KDK is also active in promoting ethical standards in the private sector, including through its membership of the Ethics and Reputation Society (TEID) and Transparency International.

Fintech

KDK advises clients on mergers and acquisitions in the fintech sector, as well as the regulatory aspects of fintech operations and transactions, including compliance with applicable regulations. The Firm assists clients in navigating licensing and permit processes, with a strong understanding of the Turkish regulatory framework and its practical application.

The team’s expertise spans crypto assets, blockchain, tokenisation, payment systems and electronic money, as well as a broad range of fintech-driven business models.

Insurance

KDK advises Turkish and international companies active in the insurance sector on a full scope of legal matters. Drawing on hands-on experience across both strategic and regulatory issues, the team supports clients in structuring and implementing solutions tailored to their insurance businesses.

The Firm’s work covers regulatory matters, including licensing and permits, as well as engagement with local authorities and advice on day-to-day operational matters. It is also active in insurance-sector M&A, advising local and international investors, including multinational corporates and private equity firms, on transactions in the Turkish market.

Mergers and Acquisitions

The Transaction team is known for its large-scale projects in highly regulated sectors and for advising leading private equity funds and strategic investors in connection with cross-border/local transactional assignments ranging from private/public M&As to joint ventures. KDK has taken part in most of the “landmark” and complex deals in the market and played a remarkable role in the country’s M&A market in recent years.

Personal Data Privacy

KDK advises clients on compliance with Turkish personal data protection law and represents them before the Turkish Personal Data Protection Authority in investigations. The Firm delivers tailored privacy compliance programmes, covering the design and implementation of sustainable data protection frameworks aligned with clients’ organizational structures.

The team’s work includes preparing policies and procedures, reviewing contracts, providing guidance on international data transfers and GDPR-related matters, delivering training, and supporting HR processes involving personal data.

Real Estate and Construction

KDK’s real estate and construction team advises clients at every stage of construction and real property development, ranging from full-scale retail developments to internationally branded tourism facilities, as well as urban transformation and housing projects.

The team is active throughout the entire project lifecycle, taking on a dynamic role from target property investigations and comprehensive land and asset due diligence through the drafting and negotiation of a wide range of agreements, including sale and purchase agreements, easement, usufruct and passage rights, lease agreements, construction agreements, architectural and engineering service agreements, management and operating agreements, as well as the preparation of security packages, tender documentation and project financing documentation.

The team advises landowners, project developers, private and corporate investors, REITs, public and private banks, real estate project lenders, construction companies, shopping mall owners, leasing and management companies, retailers, hoteliers, tour operators, port operators and private equity funds on high-value and strategically significant real estate and infrastructure assets. KDK’s technical expertise enables clients to achieve time and cost efficiencies by delivering practical, solution-oriented advice.

International Work

KDK has developed close relationships with leading international law firms and supports its multinational clients on cross-border projects through these collaborations. As an independent law firm, it works with a network of approximately 140 firms globally.

The team has extensive experience working alongside major foreign law firms across multiple jurisdictions and maintains active links with business and professional organizations in Türkiye and internationally.

KDK operates dedicated German, French and GCC Desks and has dual qualified lawyers admitted to the New York Bar and in England & Wales.

Additional Information

Diversity

KDK values diversity as a core strength and fosters an inclusive working environment that brings together individuals with different perspectives and backgrounds, including across gender, ethnicity, culture, nationality, age, religion and sexual orientation, as well as under-represented groups and individuals with disabilities. This diversity strengthens the quality of the Firm’s work and supports its ability to meet the expectations of an internationally sophisticated client base.

Eight of KDK’s twelve partners are women. With a legal team comprised of 73% women and support staff that is 45% male, the Firm places a strong emphasis on gender equality and supports the advancement of women in Türkiye’s legal market.

Compliance

All members of the Firm are trained on client confidentiality, data privacy, conflicts of interest, anti-bribery and anti-corruption. Regular training ensures a strong and consistent approach to compliance.

Legal Technology and Knowledge Management

KDK harmonizes its technology initiatives with the legal services it delivers, with a focus on innovation and cost efficiency. The Firm has established an internal artificial intelligence (AI) working group, operating in close cooperation with the Firm’s legal knowledge management team. Building on this foundation, KDK has launched a firm-wide legal technology and AI transformation programme aimed at enhancing client service delivery, streamlining internal workflows, and improving efficiency without compromising quality.

As part of this effort, KDK has implemented technology-driven solutions across key legal processes, including translation, document preparation and knowledge utilisation. These initiatives have delivered tangible results, accelerating workflows and reducing delivery times, while reinforcing KDK’s commitment to the responsible and ethical use of AI, and to delivering greater value to clients through well-governed legal technology.