You married a Turkish national, and you are a foreign citizen, but now you want out. Regardless of your reason for divorcing your spouse, you need to make sure that you have the right legal representation that can help you go through the divorce proceedings in Turkey. Divorce in Turkey is under family law, and it can be initiated only if your marriage is registered at the office of Vital Statistics. If you went through the correct registration procedure, you must go to civil court to obtain the court divorce decree before you can proceed. Here are more things you should know about divorce procedures in Turkey:
- The divorce proceedings must be held in a civil court in Turkey - Foreign citizens cannot go to another court under another jurisdiction to get a divorce. You need to make sure that you go through the divorce procedure in Turkey.
- Grounds for divorce – Turkish courts accept reasons like unreasonable behavior, adultery, maltreatment or physical violence, and mental disease as grounds for divorce. You may be allowed to end a marriage if your spouse has committed a crime, if you have been separated for the last six months, and if your relationship has deteriorated and can no longer be fixed.
- You need a Turkish lawyer – Hire a renowned turkish law firm who’s workers are fluent in English and Russian and has years of experience in practicing family law. Look up the law firm's track record and make sure that they have succeeded in a good number of divorce cases in Turkey. Remember that this lawyer will represent you in court.
- You can make your divorce proceedings private – If you want to avoid scandal, and you want to protect your privacy, you can request the trial to be private. This way, irrelevant parties will not be allowed in the courtroom. Be sure to talk about this with your lawyer.
- It can be challenging if you are a woman – Regardless of the reason for divorce, the legal rights of a foreign woman may be compromised without proper legal representation. For this reason, it is highly advisable for women to hire a skilled and experienced Turkish family lawyer. If, for instance, a woman is a victim of domestic violence, the court can grant her compensation for moral damage provided that proof (i.e. witnesses and medical reports) are present.
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