Telecom Authorisation in Türkiye: Foreign Documents

Companies that want to provide electronic communications services in Türkiye apply to the Information and Communication Technologies Authority (BTK) under the authorisation regulation for the electronic communications sector. Foreign shareholders and managers are affected by the rules on signatures and criminal records.

The application

First authorisations, additional authorisations, renewals and similar applications are made through BTK's CEVHER system. The applicant sends the information and documents requested in the notification or right-of-use application form set by BTK; the documents required are listed in the forms' annexes. Applications that do not meet the conditions or are not made in line with the notarised signature circular are invalid.

Shareholders and managers

The regulation requires that individual shareholders holding at least ten percent of the company, the persons authorised to manage and represent it, and individuals holding at least ten percent of a corporate shareholder that itself holds at least ten percent, have not been sentenced to imprisonment for the computer crimes listed in the Turkish Criminal Code; BTK asks for an archived criminal record extract for this. Later changes in these persons' criminal records, or new shareholders, must be notified with their criminal record documents.

When the persons authorised to manage and represent the company change, the current signature circular or notarised signature declarations and documents showing their authority are sent to BTK, together with the originals or notarised copies of documents proving the changes.

The regulation and BTK pages we quote do not set apostille or translation rules for documents from abroad; ask BTK which form it accepts for a foreign shareholder's documents. We translate foreign criminal records and corporate documents into Turkish in Ankara through translators sworn before a Turkish notary. BTK decides on authorisation.