Procedures
First instance courts, regional appeal courts and the Court of Cassation
Civil claims are heard by civil courts of first instance or peace courts depending on subject matter, appealed to the regional courts of justice created in 2016, and may reach the Court of Cassation on points of law. Mediation is compulsory before commercial and employment claims.
Key rules
- Jurisdiction — National, with specialised commercial, family, labour and intellectual property courts in larger cities.
- Deadline — Appeal to the regional court of justice: two weeks from service of the reasoned judgment in most civil cases
- Deadline — Appeal to the Court of Cassation: two weeks from service of the regional court decision
Governing law
- Code of Civil Procedure No. 61002011
- Law No. 6325 on Mediation in Civil Disputes2012
- Law No. 5235 on the Establishment of First Instance and Regional Courts
In practice
The 2016 introduction of regional courts of justice as a genuine appellate tier was a structural change: previously the Court of Cassation reviewed both law and, to a degree, fact, and was overwhelmed. Compulsory mediation is now a condition of admissibility for commercial money claims and for most employment disputes — filing without a mediation certificate results in rejection, which is a common procedural trap. Enforcement runs through separate enforcement offices under the Enforcement and Bankruptcy Law. Turkey's national e-justice system, UYAP, handles electronic filing and case tracking.