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Applicative Problems Regarding the Turkish Certificate of Succession

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Balkan Yearbook of European and International Law 2022

Part of the book series: Balkan Yearbook of European and International Law ((BYEIL,volume 2022))

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Abstract

Considering the intensifying transnational migrations, multicultural families and the Turkish population living abroad, requesting a Certificate of Succession (the legal document which names a deceased person’s heirs) from Turkish authorities, or the recognition of a foreign Certificate of Succession in Turkey, is gaining increasing practical importance. However, determining the international jurisdiction of Turkish courts for the issuance of a Certificate of Succession containing a foreign element brings up certain debates under Turkish law. The competence of the notary publics in the issuance of a Certificate of Succession is also contentious. In addition, where a Certificate of Succession is requested from a competent Turkish court, the law applicable to succession appears as another issue, especially with regards to the right of inheritance of the surviving spouse in same-sex marriages. Further, the recognition of a foreign Certificate of Succession involves debates and presents obstacles relating to the preconditions and the requirements for recognition. This paper examines the following issues: the doctrinal debates and the problems in practice, with particular attention given to the competent authority to issue a Certificate of Succession in a case with a foreign element, the applicable law in succession cases, and the recognition of foreign Certificates of Succession in Turkey.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    There are different kinds of civil courts which can be classified as peace courts (sulh hukuk mahkemesi), basic civil courts (asliye hukuk mahkemesi) and specialised courts.

  2. 2.

    Serozan and Engin (2021), p. 477; Kocayusufpasaoğlu (1987), p. 580.

  3. 3.

    OG 4 February 2011 No.27836.

  4. 4.

    OG 22 November 2002 No.24607.

  5. 5.

    Baran-Çelik (2019), p. 442; Serozan and Engin (2021), pp. 477–478.

  6. 6.

    Antalya and Sağlam (2015), p. 346.

  7. 7.

    Serozan and Engin (2021), p. 489; Kocaağa (2005), p. 85.

  8. 8.

    Ruhi (2014), pp. 14–15. Serozan and Engin (2021), p. 477.

  9. 9.

    Antalya and Sağlam (2015), p. 443; Serozan and Engin (2021), p. 479.

  10. 10.

    Antalya and Sağlam (2015), p. 350; Serozan and Engin (2021), p. 479.

  11. 11.

    Serozan and Engin (2021), p. 478.

  12. 12.

    OG 5 February 1972 No. 14090.

  13. 13.

    Serozan and Engin (2021), p. 478.

  14. 14.

    Şanlı et al. (2021), p. 633.

  15. 15.

    OG 04 October 2011 No. 28074.

  16. 16.

    The fact that this provision narrows the applicability of the rule stipulated in art. 71/B of the Notary Act is criticized under the Turkish doctrine, see: Şanlı et al. (2021), p. 496; Çelikel and Erdem (2021), p. 633.

  17. 17.

    Çelikel and Erdem (2021), p. 68; Şanlı et al. (2021), p. 37.

  18. 18.

    On the website of the Notaries Union of Turkey, the instances where the Certificate of Succession cannot be given by the notaries are listed. Accordingly, one of the instances where a Certificate of Succession cannot be given by the notaries is listed as the case where the descendent or any of the heirs has more than one citizenship; see: Turkish Notaries Union, (https://portal.tnb.org.tr/Sayfalar/MirascilikHiz.aspx).

  19. 19.

    OG 12 June 2009 No. 27256.

  20. 20.

    Baran-Çelik (2019), pp. 493–494. A similar discussion is made with regards to the blue card owners and the foreigner-specific security deposit obligation pursuant to art. 48 of the PILA. For the view that blue card holders should not be considered as foreigners and should be exempted from the foreigner-specific security deposit obligation pursuant to art. 48 of the PILA, see: Acun-Mekengeç (2017), pp. 28–29.

    For a decision by the 8th Civil Chamber of the Court of Cassation stating that it is possible for blue card holders to obtain a Certificate of Succession from a notary public, see: 8th Civil Chamber of the Court of Cassation Case no. 2014/15452, Decision no. 2014/16450 Date: 19.09.2014 (Lexpera).

  21. 21.

    Altınkaya (2020), pp. 70 ff. In addition, on the website of the Turkish Notaries Union, the legator or any of his/her heirs having renounced their Turkish citizenship is listed among the instances where the Certificate of Succession cannot be granted by the notaries, see: Turkish Notaries Union, (https://portal.tnb.org.tr/Sayfalar/MirascilikHiz.aspx).

  22. 22.

    Dursun (2020), p. 194; Şanlı et al. (2021), p. 641.

  23. 23.

    Çelikel and Erdem (2021), p. 801; Şanlı et al. (2021), p. 641. However, in order to be considered as discretionary evidence, the document must contain an Apostille annotation in accordance with The Hague Convention Abolishing the Requirement of Legalization for Foreign Public Documents, or it must be approved by the Turkish consulate in accordance with art. 244/p.1 of the TCCP.

  24. 24.

    OG 4 February 2011 No. 27836.

  25. 25.

    There is a foreign element in cases where there is an issuance of testamentary disposition in a foreign country; the deceased or heirs are foreigners; the requestee’s domicile or habitual residence is situated in a foreign country; the presence of some or all of the property in relation to the succession is situated in a foreign country.

  26. 26.

    Serozan and Engin (2021), p. 478.

  27. 27.

    Çelikel and Erdem (2021), p. 566; Şanlı et al. (2021), pp. 389–390.

  28. 28.

    Çelikel and Erdem (2021), pp. 631, 632; Şanlı et al. (2021), p. 495; Tekinalp (2020), p. 411; Doğan (2022), p. 67; Can and Tuna (2019), p. 125; Özkan and Tütüncübaşı (2020), p. 85; Akıncı (2020), p. 142; Bilkay (2021), pp. 905–929.

  29. 29.

    Ekşi (2013), p. 28; Güngör (2021), p. 249; Tanrıbilir (2018), p. 129. For the opinion of the Court of Cassation regarding the Certificate of Succession see 14th Civil Chamber of the Court of Cassation Case/Decision no. 1997/6013, Date: 01.06.2015, (lexpera.com.tr.) “The international jurisdiction of Turkish courts in succession cases with a foreign element is regulated under Article 43. Accordingly, the cases related to the succession can be heard in the court of the last place of residence of the deceased in Turkey, and in case the last place of residence is not in Turkey, the court of the place where the assets which are included in estate is located is authorized, therefore, the judgment has to be annulled.”.

  30. 30.

    Çelikel and Erdem (2021), p. 345; Şanlı et al. (2021), p. 265 et al.; Tekinalp (2020), p. 236.

  31. 31.

    Çelikel and Erdem (2021), p. 346; Şanlı et al. (2021), p. 264.

  32. 32.

    Çelikel and Erdem (2021), p. 346; Şanlı et al. (2021), p. 264; Ekşi (2014), p. 122.

  33. 33.

    Süral (2016/2017), p. 373.

  34. 34.

    Şanlı et al. (2021), p. 264, fn. 300; Ekşi (2014), p. 123.

  35. 35.

    Tarman (2021), p. 318.

  36. 36.

    Çelikel and Erdem (2021), p. 133; Şanlı et al. (2021), pp. 105–106.

  37. 37.

    Ekşi (2014), p. 130.

  38. 38.

    Çelikel and Erdem (2021), p. 711; Şanlı et al. (2021), p. 620.

  39. 39.

    Çelikel and Erdem (2021), pp. 623, 713; Şanlı et al. (2021), p. 620.

  40. 40.

    Çelikel and Erdem (2021), pp. 624, 625, 713; Şanlı et al. (2021), p. 620.

  41. 41.

    Çelikel and Erdem (2021), pp. 624, 625, 713; Şanlı et al. (2021), p. 620.

  42. 42.

    Ekşi (2014), p. 136.

  43. 43.

    Official Gazette, no. 1514, 8 June 1930.

  44. 44.

    For the view that the Agreement does not allow the recognition of the certificates of succession, see: Nomer (2021), p. 552.

  45. 45.

    Bilkay (2021), p. 910 ff.

  46. 46.

    Bilkay (2021), p. 910.

  47. 47.

    For detailed information, see Bilkay (2021), p. 910.

  48. 48.

    Çelikel and Erdem (2021), p. 801.

  49. 49.

    Şanlı et al. (2021), p. 642.

  50. 50.

    Çelikel and Erdem (2021), pp. 712–713; Şanlı et al. (2021), pp. 642–643.

  51. 51.

    Şanlı et al. (2021), p. 643; Nomer (2021), p. 508; Nomer (2018), p. 224; Çelikel and Erdem (2021), p. 792; Şanlı (1990), p. 291; Bilkay (2021), pp. 922–923; Ruhi (2014), p. 23.

  52. 52.

    For authors who support this view, see: Özkan and Tütüncübaşı (2020), p. 184 ff.; Demir-Gökyayla (2006), p. 562; Güngör (1997), p. 180; Sargın and Erten (2014), p. 79; Ertaş (1998), p. 391; Doğan (2022), p. 123; Sakmar (1982), p. 57; Şit (2011) p. 68 ff.

  53. 53.

    Özkan and Tütüncübaşı (2020), p. 184.

  54. 54.

    Özkan and Tütüncübaşı (2020), p. 186.

  55. 55.

    Pürselim (2020), p. 4.

  56. 56.

    Çelikel and Erdem (2021), p. 801; Şanlı et al. (2021), p. 641, dn. 405; Akıncı (2020), p. 143.

  57. 57.

    For decisions in this direction, see: 14th Civil Chamber of the Court of Cassation Case no. 2015/4915 Decision no. 2015/3473 Date. 30.03.2015; 14th Civil Chamber of the Court of Cassation Case no. 2016/14569 Decision no. 2016/10281 Date. 12.12.2016; 7th Civil Chamber of the Court of Cassation Case no. 2012/7173 Decision no. 2013/366 Date. 23.01.2013 (www.legalbank.net).

  58. 58.

    Şanlı et al. (2021), pp. 634–635; Pürselim (2020), p. 13.

  59. 59.

    Ekşi (2013), p. 113.

  60. 60.

    Akıncı (2020), p. 143; Demir-Gökyayla (2006), p. 559.

  61. 61.

    Çelikel and Erdem (2021), p. 609; Şanlı et al. (2021), p. 660.

  62. 62.

    Çelikel and Erdem (2021), p. 750.

  63. 63.

    Çelikel and Erdem (2021), p. 750; Şanlı et al. (2021), p. 661; Pürselim (2020), p. 15; Ekşi (2014), p. 137.

  64. 64.

    For the judgments of the Court of Cassation which state that in order for the decision to be enforceable, it must have been given on a subject that does not fall under the exclusive jurisdiction of Turkish courts, and that decisions on real rights on immovables are within the exclusive jurisdiction of Turkish courts, see: 2nd Civil Chamber of the Court of Cassation Case no. 2002/8254, Decision no. 2002/9339, Date. 12.07.2002: “The plaintiffs requested the recognition of the Certificate of Succession issued in accordance with the French Civil Code by the French notary public. Article 43 of the Law numbered 2675 on International Private and Procedural Law; admissibility of a foreign judgment as conclusive evidence or final judgment depends on the court’s determination that the foreign judgment fulfills the conditions of enforcement. In article 34 of the same Law, it is stated that only the decisions that have been finalized can be enforced. The Certificate of Succession that is requested to be recognized does not qualify as a finalized court decision and cannot be recognized in a way that indicates the transfer of real estate under the exclusive jurisdiction of the Turkish Courts.” For decisions in this direction, see: 2nd Civil Chamber of the Court of Cassation Case no. 1990/6373, Decision no. 1990/6410; 2nd Civil Chamber of the Court of Cassation Case no. 1986/808, Decision. no. 1986/1284 Date. 10.02.1986; Court of Cassation Grand Assembly of Civil Chambers Case no. 2001/2-922, Decision no. 2001/746 Date. 24.10.2001; Court of Cassation Grand Assembly of Civil Chambers Case no. 2001/2-922, Decision no. 2001/746, Date. 24.10.2001; 8th Civil Chamber of the Court of Cassation Case no. 2013/23629, Decision no. 2014/18556, Date. 17.10.2014.

  65. 65.

    For authors who hold this view, see: Nomer (2021), p. 552 dn. 316; Ekşi (2014), p. 137; Ekşi (2013), p. 28; Özkan and Tütüncübaşı (2020), p. 199; Pürselim (2020), pp. 190–191; Şanlı (1990), pp. 298, 302.

  66. 66.

    Demir-Gökyayla (2006), p. 575; Nomer (2003), p. 577; Demir-Gökyayla (2006), p. 575; Nomer (2003), p. 577; Tanrıbilir (2018), pp. 137–138.

  67. 67.

    Tanrıbilir (2018), p. 138.

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  1. Koç University Law School, Istanbul, Turkey

    Zeynep Derya Tarman

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    Ivana Kunda

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    Zlatan Meškić

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    Enis Omerović

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    Dušan V. Popović

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Tarman, Z.D. (2023). Applicative Problems Regarding the Turkish Certificate of Succession. In: Kunda, I., Meškić, Z., Omerović, E., Popović, D.V. (eds) Balkan Yearbook of European and International Law 2022. Balkan Yearbook of European and International Law, vol 2022. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-29432-7_2

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