Turkey recognizes divorces filed by nationals living overseas

ISTANBUL

Turkey’s Justice Ministry has prepared a new regulation that would recognize the legal divorces of Turkish couples living overseas in Turkey as well, Doğan News Agency has reported. 

According to the new regulation, divorced Turkish nationals will not have to go through recognition and enforcement action for trial as their foreign divorce court decisions will be recognized if certain conditions set by Turkish authorities are met.

Couples can legally terminate their marriages without having to go through trial in Turkey. 

With this application, couples will be eligible to continue their lives as single individuals under the laws. 

The divorced couples are required to apply to registry offices together as part of the regulation, however, if they refuse to, judicial processes will become a necessity.

However, the regulation only applies to divorces, issues on compensation, child custody and shared property will not be included. 

Couples are expected to notify their divorces to embassies or consulates abroad as well registry offices in Turkey. 

After notifying authorities, they would have to apply to change the marital status field in their IDs, changing it from “married” to “divorced.”

The regulation was introduced after the issue was brought to the Justice Ministry’s attention by the Presidency for Turks Abroad and Relative Communities, following complaints from Turkish nationals living abroad. 

The regulation is expected to be issued in a new decree law, according to officials.