Turkish Inheritance Law

Abstract

Turkish inheritance law protects close family members while preserving a defined area of testamentary freedom. In a cross-border estate, the decisive legal question is not nationality alone. The classification and location of each asset, the deceased’s national law, the form and capacity rules governing a will, Turkish mandatory rules for immovable property, and the procedural requirements for title and tax all matter. This article explains the framework for foreign owners and heirs, corrects common assumptions about reserved shares and foreign probate, and sets out a practical route from death certificate to final transfer.

Introduction

Foreign nationals may inherit, own and transfer assets in Türkiye, subject to the rules that apply to the particular asset and to foreign ownership of immovable property. The difficult part is rarely the abstract right to inherit. The difficulty is coordinating two or more legal systems while Turkish banks, courts, tax offices and land