Quick answer: A Turkish signature circular (İmza Sirküleri) is commonly used to show a company’s registered representation structure and the persons authorised to sign for it. It is typically prepared through a notary on the basis of current registry/representation records. It should not be confused with the signature declaration (İmza Beyannamesi) submitted to the Trade Registry for authorised signatories.
This guide covers company representation/signing-authority document. For corporate-history announcements, use Trade Registry Gazette Search in Turkey. For a current chamber activity document, use Activity Certificate in Turkey.
Signature Circular vs Signature Declaration
| Document |
Main function |
Where it fits |
| İmza Beyannamesi (Signature Declaration) |
Specimen signature of a person authorised to sign under the trade name |
Trade Registry filing/registration framework |
| İmza Sirküleri (Signature Circular) |
Practical notarised evidence of the company’s registered representatives and how their authority is exercised |
Often requested by banks, notaries, counterparties or institutions |
Current Ministry of Trade guidance states that signature declarations required for authorised company representatives can be created through Trade Registry Directorates using MERSİS procedures. Older articles that describe the formation-stage signature declaration as exclusively a notary document are therefore outdated.
Authority rule: The source of signing power is the company’s valid corporate appointment and registered representation structure. The circular is evidence of that authority; it does not create unlimited powers beyond the registered corporate authority.
What a Signature Circular Can Show
A signature circular can include company and representative information such as:
- registered company title;
- trade registry and tax information;
- name/identity of the authorised representative;
- the representative’s corporate capacity;
- sole or joint representation structure;
- the registered duration or scope of authority where applicable;
- specimen signature(s).
The exact content follows the company’s current registered representation record. Do not assume that a circular can add a financial limit or authority that has not been validly established under the company’s corporate/registry structure.
Does Every Turkish Company Need a Signature Circular to “Legally Operate”?
Avoid the blanket statement that a company legally cannot operate at all without a signature circular. The company’s legal existence comes from Trade Registry registration, while its representatives derive authority from the valid corporate and registry framework.
In practice, however, banks, notaries, commercial counterparties and public/private institutions frequently request current representation evidence. A signature circular can therefore be operationally important even though it is not the document that creates the company itself.
How a Signature Circular Is Usually Prepared
- Confirm the current registry record. The company, manager/director appointment and representation rule should already be validly registered.
- Identify the authorised representative. Confirm whether authority is sole, joint or subject to a registered limitation.
- Prepare the notary file. The exact documents requested can depend on the company and representative.
- Complete identity/signature formalities. The notary verifies the person/document basis and prepares the circular from the registered authority.
- Use the circular together with other current company documents when the recipient requires them.
Do not use one static checklist for every notary. Before attendance, confirm the current requirements with the notary handling the specific company and representative.
The circular should reflect the company’s current registered representation structure.
Foreign Representative: Identity and Language Issues
A foreign manager/director can generally hold representation authority in a Turkish LLC or JSC, subject to the company type and applicable sector rules. The notary will need suitable identity and current corporate-authority evidence for the transaction.
If the person does not understand Turkish sufficiently for the notarial act, the notary can require sworn-interpreter involvement according to the applicable notarial procedure. Do not describe an interpreter as universally mandatory for every foreign national; the actual language/communication situation matters.
For foreign-management rules, see Foreign Sole Director in Turkey.
Can a Signature Circular Be Obtained Remotely?
Do not assume that a generic power of attorney lets another person create the principal’s own specimen-signature document remotely. A signature circular depends on the registered company authority and the notarial identity/signature procedure applicable to the authorised representative.
A power of attorney can be used for many company-registration and operational actions when drafted correctly, but the PoA’s scope and the notary’s requirements must be checked for the specific act. Remote incorporation and later representation-document formalities are separate questions.
See Power of Attorney Turkey Template.
Where a Signature Circular Is Commonly Requested
| Use case |
Why the recipient may request it |
Important qualification |
| Corporate banking |
To verify who can bind/sign for the company |
Bank KYC file usually requires additional corporate/UBO documents |
| Notarial transactions |
To confirm the company representative’s authority |
Notary may verify current registry information separately |
| Commercial contracts |
Counterparty due diligence on signing authority |
A sophisticated counterparty may also request current Gazette/registry records |
| Public/administrative applications |
Proof of representation for a particular application |
Required document list varies by authority |
| Granting company powers of attorney |
Evidence that the person granting authority can bind the company |
The PoA itself remains a separate notarial instrument |
For corporate bank onboarding, use How to Open a Business Bank Account in Turkey. If an A.Ş. board decision is required for the transaction, review the board resolution guide before preparing the authority documents.
Is There a Universal 2-, 5- or 10-Year Expiry Rule?
No universal rule should be stated that every signature circular automatically expires after 2, 5 or 10 years. The underlying representation appointment may itself have a registered duration, and a recipient may also require a recently issued/current document.
The important question is whether the authority reflected in the circular is still current. A circular can become unsuitable for use if, for example:
- the manager/director is removed or replaced;
- the representation method changes from sole to joint or vice versa;
- the registered term of authority ends;
- the company title changes and the recipient requires updated evidence;
- the receiving institution requires a newly issued copy.
Do not assume that every address or activity change automatically requires a new circular; check whether the change affects the document or the recipient’s current-document requirement.
Why the Latest Registry Record Still Matters
A signature circular should not be reviewed in isolation. A historic document can become stale after a later corporate change.
For an important transaction, compare:
- current signature circular / representation evidence;
- latest relevant Trade Registry Gazette announcements;
- current company/chamber or Trade Registry documents where requested;
- the contract or transaction-specific authority required.
This is why the statement “a circular is conclusive proof forever” is too broad.
Sole vs Joint Signature
The company can register different representation structures according to the applicable company-law rules and its corporate decisions. Common examples include:
- sole representation: one authorised person can bind the company alone;
- joint representation: two or more authorised persons must sign together;
- registered limitations: only limitations recognised by law and properly registered/announced are effective against third parties in the relevant manner.
A private internal spending policy is not automatically the same thing as a registered limitation on external representation authority.
Signature Circular vs Activity Certificate vs Gazette
| Question |
Best evidence/source |
| Who can sign for the company and how? |
Current representation/signature evidence + registry record |
| What corporate changes were published? |
Trade Registry Gazette |
| Do I need current chamber activity/status evidence? |
Faaliyet Belgesi |
| What is the central registry/company data? |
MERSİS / Trade Registry records |
Representation Document Checklist
- Confirm the current manager/director appointment.
- Confirm sole vs joint representation.
- Check whether the registered authority has a term.
- Confirm the notary’s current identity/company-document requirements.
- Check language/interpreter needs for a foreign representative.
- After any management/representation change, verify whether a new circular/current copy is needed.
- For a bank or counterparty, ask how recent the document must be and what additional registry evidence is required.
Workon coordinates company-registration and corporate-document workflows according to the agreed scope.
How Workon Coordinates Representation Documents
Workon supports foreign founders and overseas companies with business setup and operational coordination in Türkiye. Depending on the agreed scope, this can include manager/director appointment sequencing, MERSİS/Trade Registry coordination, foreign-document and PoA workflows, notary coordination and preparation of connected banking or institutional document files.
Legal opinions and regulated professional services are handled by appropriately licensed professionals. Workon coordinates notary, bank, Trade Registry and authority-facing document steps under each institution’s current procedure.
Review Workon’s company registration and operational coordination service.
Official Reference Points
Last reviewed: 17 September 2026. Representation-document requirements depend on the company’s current registry record and the receiving institution’s purpose.
An İmza Sirküleri is commonly used as notarised evidence of a company's current registered representatives and how they may sign for the company. The underlying signing power comes from the valid corporate appointment and registered representation structure; the circular evidences that authority rather than creating unlimited powers.
An İmza Beyannamesi is the specimen-signature declaration used within the Trade Registry framework for authorised signatories, while an İmza Sirküleri is practical notarised evidence of the company's registered representation structure and is often requested by banks, notaries, counterparties or institutions.
No blanket statement is safe. The company legally exists through Trade Registry registration and its representatives derive authority from the corporate and registry framework. A signature circular is nevertheless operationally important because many banks, notaries and counterparties request current representation evidence.
Generally yes, where the foreign person validly holds the relevant representation authority. The notary will require suitable identity and current corporate-authority evidence, and sworn-interpreter involvement can be required where the person does not sufficiently understand Turkish for the notarial act.
No. There is no universal 2-, 5- or 10-year expiry rule for every circular. The relevant questions are whether the underlying representation authority is still valid and whether the receiving institution requires a recently issued or updated document.
Not automatically. A new or updated circular is clearly relevant when the manager, director, representation method or registered authority changes. For an address, title or other change, check whether it affects the document and whether the bank, notary or other recipient requires updated current evidence.
Note: Last reviewed September 2026. This guide explains signature-circular and representation-document workflows at an operational level. For transaction-specific authority questions, Workon coordinates the current registry/notary documents with the appropriately qualified professionals.
