US Notarized Documents and Powers of Attorney for Türkiye

A power of attorney signed in the United States for use in Türkiye, whether to sell property, collect an inheritance or act before a Turkish office, is a notarized document. The apostille then certifies the notary, and every state sets its own conditions for that.

With or without a county step

The main dividing line is the county. In New York the County Clerk of the county where the notary is certified must certify the document first. Maryland sends it to the Clerk of the Circuit Court in the county where the notary was commissioned, Tennessee to the County Clerk of that county, and Kentucky to the County Clerk where the notary is registered. In Texas and Georgia the notarized document goes straight to the state office.

The notarial certificate is where most requests succeed or fail. Pennsylvania and Colorado require the notary's wording to be in English, even when the document itself is in another language. Virginia requires all seven items it lists from the notary. Washington wants a complete certificate, signed and stamped by a Washington notary. New Jersey asks for the original inked signatures of both the notary and the person who presented the document. Arizona accepts only an original notarized document, never a photocopy.

A bilingual power of attorney in English and Turkish is possible, but the notarial certificate stays in English in the states that require it.

On the Turkish side

After the apostille, the document comes to Ankara for the sworn translation into Turkish, and a Turkish notary certifies the translation where the receiving office requires it. Turkish offices that act on a power of attorney decide for themselves whether its content meets their needs, so it is worth confirming the wording with them before the document is signed. The table shows the office for each state.