Use Of A Foreign Language In Contracts

Within the existing business practices, it is common that the contracts and other documents executed in relation to a work or project that have Turkish parties and/or that is carried out in Turkey are issued in foreign language or it is deemed that English version prevails in the documents that are issued both in Turkish and English languages. However, such a choice may cause severe problems for the parties to such contracts and documents due to the "Law No. 805 on Obligation to Use Turkish in the Economic Enterprises" ("Law") adopted on 10.04.1926 and the recent Supreme Court decisions regarding the same.

Whilst the Law has been in force for a long time, most people are not aware of the provisions of the same and the penalties imposed therein. In consideration of a number of recent decisions of Supreme Court that have arisen on contrary to the general opinion that was applicable in the doctrine in relation to implementation of this Law, it is crucially necessary for