Who is a sworn translator in Türkiye?

A sworn translator (yeminli tercüman) in Türkiye is a translator who has taken an oath before a Turkish notary. The notary writes the oath into a report, signs it together with the translator and keeps it on file at that notary office. That file is what allows the notary to use the person for translations. The rest of this guide explains how the status arises, what it lets the translator do and what you should do with your own document. For the wider picture, read our page on sworn translation in Türkiye.

How a translator becomes sworn in Türkiye

The oath is taken at a notary's office. The notary records it in a report that the notary and the translator both sign. The report stays at that notary office.

Before using a translator, the notary must be satisfied that the person knows the language correctly. The sources behind this guide name diplomas, other documents or other means as ways to show it. A diploma is the certificate a school or university issues when you finish a programme. The notary weighs the evidence and decides.

One rule follows directly. A notary may not have a translation made by anyone whose oath report is missing from that office's own file. So the file at the notary office is what counts, not a title printed on a business card.

Details of practice can differ between notary offices. Ask the office that will handle your document before you order.

What a sworn translator produces: the notarised translation

Translating a document from one language into another is one of the duties the Notaries Act gives Turkish notaries. The notary's work on a translation is called the translation act (çevirme işlemi). The notary adds an endorsement (şerh) under the translated text. Then the notary dates, signs and seals it.

When the notary works with a sworn translator, the endorsement must state the translator's identity and address. So the notary completes the translation act with an endorsement that identifies the sworn translator. This is what separates a notarised translation from a plain one. The guide on sworn, certified and notarised terms compares the three words in more detail.

A notarised translation counts as valid until someone proves otherwise. That is the standard Turkish law applies to notarial acts other than deeds and signature certifications.

A translation office prepares the translation text. It does not issue the notary's endorsement, and it does not issue an apostille. The endorsement is a notarial act. An apostille comes from a Turkish authority.

Notarised translation and the apostille

You need an apostille only if you will use the translation abroad. A notarised translation made and used inside Türkiye needs none. The Apostille Convention covers documents executed in one state and produced in another.

For use abroad, a governor's office (valilik) or a district governor's office (kaymakamlık) certifies the notary's signature and seal. The governor of any province or district can do this. An apostille certifies the signature, the signer's capacity and, where relevant, the seal or stamp. It does not certify what the document says.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Dışişleri Bakanlığı) adds nothing to a document that already carries an apostille. Present it directly.

Sworn translator or sworn interpreter

Turkish law uses the term andlı tercüman, sworn interpreter, for the spoken role. If a person making a notarial act does not know Turkish, a sworn interpreter must also be present. The notary administers that oath. In a notarial deed, the interpreter's identity and address go into the record, and the interpreter signs it.

Other settings have their own rules. At the land registry (tapu müdürlüğü), the sworn interpreter hands in a report of an oath taken before a court. At a civil wedding, the regulation does not set an oath, although some municipalities ask for a sworn interpreter. Check with the marriage office.

So do not assume that a translator sworn at a notary's office can act in every setting. The table shows the main differences.

What you should do with your document

• Ask the office that will receive the translation whether it wants a notarised Turkish translation. Each institution decides which documents it accepts.
• Tell the translation office the language pair and the purpose of the document.
• Send a clear scan of the original, or the original itself if the receiving office needs it.
• Decide separately whether you need an apostille. You need one only for use abroad.

If you speak both languages, you may want to translate the document yourself. Read about certifying a translation you made before you do.