The riskiest moment in any new supplier relationship is the moment money leaves your account. The quotation may look professional, the website may be polished and the sales contact may answer within minutes. None of that proves that the person you are dealing with speaks for the company, or that your payment will reach it. Supplier verification exists to close exactly that gap.
This guide is written for importers, sourcing managers and business owners buying from Türkiye (Turkey) for the first time, or from a Turkish supplier they have not worked with before. It explains how to verify a Turkish supplier step by step, using the same official records a Turkish company check relies on, and sets out when it makes sense to bring in an independent review.
What is supplier verification?Supplier verification is the process of confirming four things before you pay: that the company on the quotation exists in the official records and is active; that the person you are talking to is authorised to act for it; that the documents you have received match the registry; and that the bank account you are asked to pay belongs to the same legal entity. Put simply, it answers one question: who am I actually paying?
That last point matters more than most buyers expect. Most payment fraud does not involve a fake factory. It involves a real supplier, a convincing email and a bank account that belongs to someone else. When you verify a company in Turkey, finding that it exists is only the first step; the name, tax number and address may all be genuine. What usually goes unchecked is whether your contact may act for that company, and whether the money will go to it.
Verification versus supplier auditThe two terms are often used interchangeably, but they cover different ground. Verification is records-based: company identity, registration status, representative authority and the payment account. A supplier audit usually means going on site, seeing the facility and assessing production capacity. For a modest first order, records-based verification is often enough. For a large or long-term contract, a facility visit becomes worth the extra time.
Why Turkey supplier due diligence must happen before paymentAn international transfer is difficult to reverse. Once funds reach the beneficiary's account, your options narrow quickly and every hour counts. Checks carried out after payment can tell you what went wrong; only checks carried out before payment can prevent it.
The risks buyers meet when sourcing from Turkey tend to follow a handful of familiar patterns:
* Negotiating with someone who uses a real company's details, then receiving an invoice or payment request from a different company
* An email in an existing thread announcing that the bank account has changed
* A beneficiary who is a private individual, another company or a company abroad
* A cloned website of a genuine manufacturer, with one letter changed in the domain
* A payment instruction from someone impersonating a real employee, or from an employee with no authority to give it
* A price well below the market combined with pressure to pay a deposit immediately
Each of these is stopped by straightforward, disciplined checks. The checklist below puts them in a practical order.
How to verify a Turkish supplier: a step-by-step checklistBefore you start, ask the supplier for the following: the full legal company name (ticari unvan), tax number and tax office, MERSİS number, a current tax registration certificate, the signature circular, the quotation and proforma invoice, and the bank details for payment. An established supplier will rarely struggle to provide these, and most will see the request as a sign that you are a serious buyer.
1. Check the Trade Registry Gazette (Ticaret Sicil Gazetesi)The Türkiye Ticaret Sicili Gazetesi, or Trade Registry Gazette, is the official publication in which company registrations are announced: incorporation, capital changes, appointments of managers and board members, address changes and liquidation. Its history shows how long the company has existed and how its structure has changed.
Look in particular for changes of managers, partners or address shortly before your order. A newly formed company, or one that has recently changed hands, is not necessarily fraudulent, but it is a reason to ask questions. Also confirm that the legal name in the gazette matches the name on the quotation exactly, word for word.
2. Confirm the MERSİS numberMERSİS is the central registry system of the Turkish Ministry of Trade, and every company is assigned a 16-digit MERSİS number. It normally appears on invoices, letterheads and the company website. The MERSİS number on the quotation should tie to one registered company, and that company's legal name should match. A number that does not match the name is a clear reason to stop and ask.
3. Verify the tax registration certificate (vergi levhası)The vergi levhası, or tax registration certificate, shows the taxpayer's name, tax number, tax office (vergi dairesi) and main activity. It can be generated electronically and checked through the Turkish Revenue Administration. Companies have a 10-digit tax identification number (vergi kimlik numarası, or VKN); sole proprietors use their 11-digit national identity number instead.
Do not stop at confirming that the certificate exists. Check consistency: the tax number and tax office should be identical on the quotation, proforma and invoice, and should belong to the legal name you are dealing with. A different tax office on different documents can indicate copied or altered paperwork, and a certificate in another name, or one that cannot be checked, is a reason to pause before paying.
4. Check representative authority with the signature circular (imza sirküleri)This is the step buyers skip most often, and one of the most useful. The imza sirküleri, or signature circular, is a document, usually notarised, that shows the specimen signatures of the people authorised to represent the company. It states whether they may sign alone or jointly, and any limits on their authority.
A job title such as export manager does not, on its own, confer authority to bind the company. A quotation from a sales manager is normal; a contract signature or a change of bank details from someone who is not authorised is not. If the person signing for the supplier does not appear in the signature circular, ask for a power of attorney (vekaletname) and check that it covers the act being signed.
5. Match the IBAN to the account holderA Turkish IBAN has 26 characters and starts with TR. A correctly formatted IBAN, however, tells you nothing about who owns the account. The question that matters is whether the account holder is the same legal entity as the registered company that issued your quotation.
A Turkish company should be paid into an account held in its own legal name. Be cautious when the beneficiary is a private individual, a different company or a company abroad. A plausible explanation, such as a sister company or a partner's account, is still a reason to stop and confirm. Ask your bank whether the beneficiary name can be confirmed before the transfer is released.
There is one legitimate exception. A sole proprietorship (şahıs şirketi) is owned by one person, so an account in the owner's name can be correct. Even then, the account holder should be the registered owner, not a third person.
6. Check the address and premisesA registered address does not prove that the supplier operates there. An address in an organised industrial zone (Organize Sanayi Bölgesi, or OSB) suggests an industrial site, but it does not show that this supplier works from that parcel. Checking the address on maps and street-level imagery is a reasonable start; a dated, on-the-ground exterior check of the address is far more reliable.
If production capacity matters to your order, a capacity report (kapasite raporu) issued by a chamber of industry or commerce is a useful document. Bear in mind that it describes theoretical capacity at the time of the assessment, not the capacity available for your order today. An agreed facility visit, with the supplier taking part, is the way to see what is actually running now.
7. Review chamber records and the certificate of activityRegistered Turkish companies must belong to a local chamber of commerce or industry (ticaret odası or sanayi odası). Chamber records confirm membership and registered activity, and a company that claims to manufacture should normally have a matching registered activity. If you ask for a certificate of activity (faaliyet belgesi), make sure it is recently dated; an old certificate proves little about today.
8. Use references and independent confirmationReferences from the supplier are helpful, but on their own they are limited, because the supplier chooses them. Independent confirmation is stronger: call the company on a number you found yourself, in official records or on its registered website, and ask whether your contact works there and may act for the company. Never use the phone number in the email that asks for payment.
Check, too, that the email domain and the website belong to the company named on the quotation. A website registered recently, or a contact page that lists only a mobile number and a free email address, deserves closer scrutiny.
Common mistakes when checking a supplier yourself* Confirming that the company exists, but not that your contact is authorised to act for it
* Relying on copies sent by the supplier instead of comparing them with the official record
* “Confirming” a change of bank details by replying in the same email thread
* Never reading the account holder name on the proforma invoice
Red flags of a fake or borrowed supplier identityNone of the signs below is proof of fraud on its own. Each one, however, is a good reason to pause and ask questions before you pay.
A real company's details, but an invoice from someone elseThe most important warning sign is a borrowed identity. Someone negotiates in the name of a real company, using its name, registration and tax numbers, website, catalogue, factory photographs and certificates. The sale is then invoiced through a different company, or payment is requested into that company's account. When the buyer looks the company up, everything checks out, because the company is real. What has not been checked is whether the person on the other side is authorised to act for it.
The rule is simple: the contracting entity, the invoice issuer and the bank account holder should be one and the same legal entity. If a “sales office” or trading company claims to represent a factory, ask for a written authorisation from the manufacturer and confirm it with the manufacturer directly.
Other warning signs* A request to change bank details in the middle of an existing thread, explained by an audit, a new bank or a currency problem
* Small differences in the legal name, tax office or address across the quotation, proforma and invoice
* Lookalike email domains with a single letter changed
* Certificates that cannot be checked, PDFs that appear edited and stamps without a matching signature
* A demand for full payment in advance on a first order
* Urgency: a price that expires today, limited stock or a production slot that will be lost without an immediate deposit
For a fuller explanation of these patterns, and what to do if you have already paid, read our guide to payment fraud when buying from Türkiye. If a Turkish term on a quotation or invoice is unfamiliar, our glossary of Turkish company terms explains what each one means and why it matters to a buyer.
Payment terms that limit your exposureVerification reduces risk; it does not remove it. Combine your checks with payment terms that protect you:
* Start a new supplier relationship with a modest first order or a sample shipment, which limits what you can lose while you learn how the supplier works.
* Consider a letter of credit, a reputable escrow arrangement, or a balance paid against shipping documents or an independent pre-shipment inspection. Check any escrow service as carefully as the supplier.
* Treat any change of payment details as unverified until you have confirmed it through a channel you did not receive it from.
When to use a professional supplier verification service in TurkeyYou can carry out many of the checks above yourself. An independent review earns its place when you need someone to read Turkish-language records and documents, to check the address in person, or to research the supplier without revealing who is asking. It is particularly worth considering when:
* You are working with the supplier for the first time and have been asked for a deposit
* The account holder does not match the company on the quotation
* You are not confident interpreting Turkish documents and registry entries
* The order is large enough that losing the payment would seriously affect your business
EnterTurkey verification packagesEnterTurkey is an Ankara-based firm that verifies Turkish suppliers for foreign buyers before they pay. Our checks draw on the Türkiye Ticaret Sicili Gazetesi, MERSİS, the vergi levhası, the imza sirküleri, chamber records and a bank account holder name match. There are three levels of scope:
* Lite ($199, 24 hours (1 working day)): company identity and registration status, the representative's identity and authority, tax number and MERSİS checks, Trade Registry Gazette history, a quotation and proforma check, and whether the payment account belongs to the company or to a private account holder.
* Pro ($499, 48 hours (2 working days)): everything in Lite, plus official-source research, an exterior check of the address with dated observations, and interpretation for the relevant sector.
* Enterprise (from $1,500, maximum 120 working hours / 5 working days): an agreed visit inside the facility with the supplier taking part, and a scoped review of production capacity.
Lite and Pro are confidential: we do not disclose your identity, or who requested the review, to the supplier. Enterprise, by its nature, requires the supplier to be informed in advance and to agree to facility access. You can compare all three plans side by side, or see a sample report to understand what you would receive. Our methodology page explains which sources we use and how.
For most first orders, the natural starting point is the Lite review: you share the supplier's details, the quotation and the bank details, and receive source-linked findings, a payment recommendation and the points to clarify before you pay. If you also want the address checked, look at the Pro package; if you need to see production capacity, the Enterprise package is designed for that. When you are ready, you can request a verification here.
Summary: your pre-payment checklist1. Compare the legal name, tax number, tax office and MERSİS number with the official records.
2. Review the Trade Registry Gazette for recent changes of managers, partners or address.
3. Confirm your contact's authority from the signature circular or a power of attorney.
4. Make sure the contracting entity, the invoice issuer and the account holder are the same legal entity.
5. Confirm the bank details by calling the company on a number you found yourself.
6. Check the address and, where it matters, the facility; judge capacity by observation, not paperwork alone.
7. Use payment terms that limit your exposure on the first order.
Verifying a supplier is not an obstacle to working with a good one; it is the first step in a sound trading relationship. A genuine, established Turkish supplier will treat these questions as a sign of professionalism, not mistrust.
Frequently asked questionsHow long does it take to verify a Turkish supplier?If you already have the documents, you can complete the basic checks yourself fairly quickly. With EnterTurkey, a Lite review is delivered in 24 hours (1 working day) and a Pro review in 48 hours (2 working days). An Enterprise review, which includes a supplier-participating facility visit, takes a maximum of 120 working hours (5 working days).
What does the Turkish Trade Registry Gazette show?The Ticaret Sicil Gazetesi records a company's incorporation, capital changes, appointments of managers and board members, address changes and any liquidation. Changes of management, partners or address made shortly before your order deserve particular attention.
What is a MERSİS number?MERSİS is the central registry system of the Turkish Ministry of Trade. Each company has a 16-digit MERSİS number, normally shown on invoices, letterheads and its website. It ties a document to one registered company, so it should always match the legal name on your quotation.
What should I do if the IBAN account holder is not the supplier?Do not pay. Ask the supplier to explain the relationship in writing, ask your bank whether the beneficiary name can be confirmed, and call the company on a number you found independently. The one legitimate exception is a sole proprietorship (şahıs şirketi), where the account may be in the owner's name, but the holder should still be the registered owner.
Will the supplier know that I am checking them?Checks you run on public records are not notified to the supplier. With EnterTurkey's Lite and Pro reviews, we do not disclose your identity, or who requested the review, to the supplier. An Enterprise review involves a facility visit, so the supplier is informed in advance and access is agreed by appointment.
Does verifying a supplier remove all risk?No. Verification reduces the risks around company identity, representative authority and the payment account, but it does not on its own remove commercial risks such as product quality or delivery. Use it together with a modest first order, protective payment terms and, where appropriate, an independent pre-shipment inspection.