Divorce procedures in Turkey
Divorce in Turkey
It is possible to obtain a divorce in Turkey, even if the marriage took place outside Turkey.
Turkish legislation is the applicable law when it comes to divorce proceedings for asylum seekers,
refugees and stateless persons. Asylum seekers, refugees and stateless people
who wish to divorce in Turkey are subject to the provisions of the Turkish Civil Code.
Turkey recognises the civil status of asylum seekers, refugees and stateless persons which they
acquired in their country of origin or former place of habitual residence, in accordance with the rules of the country concerned. In some countries,
religious marriage is recognised as an official marriage. A religious marriage contracted in the country of origin
or former place of habitual residence will therefore also be recognised in Turkey, because such a marriage is a form of
official marriage in that country. Other traditional forms of marriage will also be recognised, as long as the
person gave a statement to that effect when registering with the Directorate General of Migration Management in Turkey, even if it was not
possible to produce an official document proving the marriage at the time of registration.
Divorce proceedings and custody cases
To obtain a divorce, a divorce petition must be filed with the relevant family court. When applying for divorce,
you can ask the court to open custody case(s) for your children. Refugees may receive
legal assistance through the legal aid offices of the bar associations during divorce proceedings
and custody cases. On application, the bar association may appoint a lawyer free of charge if it is established
that the person does not have the financial means to cover lawyers' fees and court costs.