How to Read the Turkish Trade Registry Gazette (Ticaret Sicil Gazetesi): A Buyer’s Guide

You have a quotation from a Turkish supplier, a proforma invoice has arrived and the payment date is getting close. You may already have looked the company up in MERSİS, the central registry. That tells you what the record says today. It does not tell you the company’s history: when it was formed, when its managers changed, when it moved address or whether it has gone into liquidation. For that, you need the Turkish Trade Registry Gazette, the Türkiye Ticaret Sicili Gazetesi.

This guide explains what the Gazette is, how a Ticaret Sicil Gazetesi search works, how to read a Turkish company registration announcement and how to check Turkish company changes that matter before you pay. It reflects what we look at when we verify Turkish suppliers for foreign buyers.

In brief* The Trade Registry Gazette is the official publication in which registered company formations and changes are announced.

* It covers incorporation, changes of name and address, capital increases, appointments and resignations of managers and directors, signing authority, share transfers, liquidation and deregistration.

* You search it at ticaretsicil.gov.tr. The official site says free gazette searches require a member login; certified copies are charged for.

* The key warning signs are management, address or name changes just before your order, a very recent incorporation and any liquidation entry.

* The Gazette does not, on its own, prove who owns a bank account or that your contact is authorised today.

What is the Turkish Trade Registry Gazette?The Türkiye Ticaret Sicili Gazetesi, usually shortened to “Ticaret Sicil Gazetesi”, is the official gazette in which information registered at Turkish trade registry offices, and required by law to be announced, is published. It is published by TOBB, the Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Türkiye. The trade registry offices themselves operate within the local chambers of commerce and industry, under the supervision of the Ministry of Trade.

Its legal weight is the reason it matters. Under the Turkish Commercial Code, registered facts can, as a rule, be relied on against third parties once they have been announced. The removal of a manager or a restriction on someone’s signing authority takes effect against everyone from the announcement onwards. For a buyer, that makes the Gazette something close to a company’s official biography.

The official site states that announcements published since 1957 can be accessed. For an established company, that can mean decades of history. For short definitions of this and related terms, see our glossary of Turkish company terms.

What the Gazette publishesMost significant events in a company’s life appear as a separate announcement. These are the types you will meet most often when checking a supplier.

Incorporation (kuruluş)The first announcement, confirming that the company has been registered. For limited and joint-stock companies it usually reproduces key parts of the articles of association: the name, registered seat, objects, capital, founders and first managers. It is one of the most reliable indicators of a company’s real age.

Change of name (unvan değişikliği)Shows that the company’s trade name has changed. The registry number and MERSİS number normally stay the same; only the name differs. A company you cannot find under an old name may appear under its new one.

Change of address or registered seat (adres değişikliği, merkez nakli)A move within the same province, or a transfer of the registered seat to another province, is announced. A transfer of seat moves the company to a different trade registry office, where it may receive a new registry number. The MERSİS number is the more dependable way to follow it.

Capital increase (sermaye artırımı)Announces an increase, or occasionally a reduction, in share capital, sometimes with details of how it was funded. Capital is the amount the shareholders have committed. It is not a measure of cash in the bank or profitability.

Managers and board members (müdür, yönetim kurulu)Appointments, renewals and resignations of managers in a limited company (Ltd. Şti.) and of board members in a joint-stock company (A.Ş.) are announced. This is how you trace who has run the company, and since when.

Signing authority (temsil ve ilzam yetkisi)These entries state who may sign for the company and bind it to obligations. They say whether authority is exercised “münferiden” (alone) or “müştereken” (jointly), and set out any limits on time or subject matter. Appointments of commercial representatives may also be announced here.

Share transfers (pay devri)In a limited company, transfers of shares are registered and announced, so you can follow changes among the partners. In a joint-stock company, share transfers are generally not registered, so changes of shareholder may not appear in the Gazette at all.

Liquidation and deregistration (tasfiye, terkin)These announcements record the start of liquidation, the appointed liquidator, calls to creditors and, finally, the removal of the company from the register (terkin). A company in liquidation usually has “tasfiye halinde” (in liquidation) added to its name.

How to run a Ticaret Sicil Gazetesi searchThe official address is ticaretsicil.gov.tr. The site offers services including viewing announcements and checking trade names. According to the site, a member login is needed to search the gazette free of charge; a membership form and an e-Devlet (Turkish e-government) sign-in option are provided. Certified copies, electronically signed or wet-signed, are charged for. Interfaces, menu labels and terms change from time to time, so check the site itself for the current position.

1. Note the supplier’s full legal name, MERSİS number and, if shown, its trade registry office and registry number from the quotation, proforma, letterhead or website.

2. Go to ticaretsicil.gov.tr and sign in as a member, or use the e-Devlet sign-in if you have access to it.

3. Search the announcements by trade name, registry number or MERSİS number. Starting with one distinctive word from the name, rather than the full name, helps you catch spelling variations.

4. Match the results to the right company using the registry office and registry number; companies with similar names often appear together.

5. Open the announcements from oldest to newest. They usually open as a PDF image of the gazette page.

6. Record the date, issue number and subject of each announcement in a simple table. That timeline shows the company’s history at a glance.

Foreign buyers face two practical obstacles. The e-Devlet sign-in is designed for users with a Turkish identity number, and announcements are published only in Turkish. Running dense legal text through machine translation can easily blur the difference between “müştereken” and “münferiden”, which decides whether one signature is enough.

How to read a Turkish company registration announcementAn announcement looks dense at first, but most follow the same pattern. On the gazette page, announcements are generally grouped by registry office, and each one opens with the details that identify the company.

The header details* Ticaret sicil müdürlüğü (trade registry office): where the company is registered, usually named after a city. If it differs from the city on the quotation, ask why.

* Sicil numarası (registry number): the company’s number at that office. The same number can belong to another company at a different office, so always read it together with the office.

* MERSİS numarası: the 16-digit central registry number. It appears in more recent announcements and should match the number on the invoice exactly.

* Ticaret unvanı (trade name): the full legal name. Compare it letter by letter with the quotation; even “Ltd. Şti.” versus “A.Ş.” means a different legal entity.

* Adres (address): the registered address at the time of the announcement.

* Tescil tarihi (registration date): the date the change was entered in the register.

The announcement text (ilan metni)Below the header is the substance. Sometimes it is a single sentence, for example that a decision to move to a new address has been registered. Sometimes it is the full text of a general assembly or managers’ resolution. There you will find who was appointed, who left, how signing authority is to be exercised and which articles were amended. Note the names, any partially masked identity details and terms of office.

Reading the dates correctlyAn announcement can carry three different dates: the date of the resolution, the registration date and the gazette publication date. They may be days or weeks apart. Work from the registration and publication dates, and set them against the dates of your first contact, your order and any request to change bank details.

What to look for as a buyerA change in the Gazette is not a bad sign in itself. Companies grow, move and change management. What matters is the timing, and whether it fits the story you have been told.

A recent change of managers or directorsIf the entire management changed a few weeks before your order, you may not be dealing with the business you originally assessed. Ask who the new managers are and whether arrangements made with the previous team still stand.

A recent move of address or seatIf the factory you were told about is not at the registered address, or the company recently moved to another province, establish where production actually takes place.

A very recent incorporationIf a supplier presented as a “manufacturer with twenty years’ experience” was incorporated a few months ago, that needs explaining. Sometimes an older business has been restructured into a new company; if so, ask for the earlier entity’s details as well.

A change of nameA new name can be used to borrow the reputation of a well-known brand, or to leave a troubled history behind. Note the former name and search under it too.

CapitalA newly formed company with minimal capital taking on a large, long-term order increases your exposure. Treat capital as a rough indicator of scale, not as a guarantee.

Who holds signing authority, and who are you dealing with?This is arguably the most important check. Are the people given signing authority in the Gazette the same people who are sending you the contract, issuing the proforma or changing the bank details? A title such as “export manager” does not, by itself, give anyone power to bind the company. If authority must be exercised jointly, a contract with one signature may not bind it. Where necessary, ask for the signature circular (imza sirküleri) or a power of attorney.

Liquidation or deregistrationA company in liquidation is not in a position to take new production orders, and a deregistered company no longer exists in law. Do not send a deposit to a company whose name includes “tasfiye halinde” or which has a deregistration announcement. For other warning signs, see our guide on how to spot a fake Turkish supplier.

What the Gazette cannot proveThe Gazette is a strong source, but it has limits. Keep these in mind before you pay:

* It does not show who holds a bank account. Whether the IBAN on the proforma belongs to the registered company has to be checked separately.

* It does not prove that your contact is authorised today. A change may have been registered after the last announcement you read, and an email address may be impersonating a genuine employee.

* It does not show the company’s financial position, debts or enforcement proceedings.

* It does not confirm production capacity, or that anyone is actually operating at the registered address.

* Announcements reflect registered resolutions; they do not independently confirm that what those documents say is true.

The Gazette is best used as one part of a wider check. We set out the full sequence in our guide on how to verify a Turkish supplier before you pay.

How EnterTurkey can do this for youWe are an Ankara-based verification firm that checks Turkish suppliers for foreign buyers before payment. The EnterTurkey Lite check covers the company’s identity, its registration status, the representative’s authority and the name of the bank-account holder. Results are delivered within 24 hours (1 working day), for $199.

If you need more depth, the Pro check is delivered within 48 hours (2 working days), for $499, and adds research in official sources and an exterior check of the address to everything in Lite. To see what you receive, have a look at our sample report.

Frequently asked questionsWhat is the Turkish Trade Registry Gazette?It is the official gazette, published by TOBB, in which company formations and changes registered at Turkish trade registry offices are announced. It covers incorporation, changes of name and address, capital increases, appointments, signing authority, share transfers and liquidation.

Is a Ticaret Sicil Gazetesi search free?According to the official site, ticaretsicil.gov.tr, a member login is needed to search the gazette free of charge, and an e-Devlet sign-in option is offered. Certified copies, electronically signed or wet-signed, are charged for. Terms can change, so check the site for the current position.

What do I need to search for a Turkish company registration announcement?Searches are usually made by trade name, trade registry number or MERSİS number. Because companies with similar names can appear together, match each result to the right registry office and registry number before relying on it.

Are Gazette announcements available in English?No. Announcements are published in Turkish only. Legal terms such as “müştereken” (jointly) and “münferiden” (alone) change the meaning of signing authority, so take care with machine translation.

Does the Gazette confirm the supplier’s bank account?No. The Gazette does not publish bank account information. You need to check separately that the IBAN on the proforma is held in the registered company’s name. EnterTurkey Lite checks the account-holder name alongside company identity and the representative’s authority.

How can I check Turkish company changes made just before my order?Open the company’s announcements in date order and compare the registration and publication dates with your order date. A change of managers, address or name shortly before you pay is not proof of fraud, but it needs a clear explanation before any deposit is sent.