Ankara · Türkiye

Legal counsel for matters that move between Iran and Türkiye

A bicultural practice based in Ankara. We advise Iranian individuals and enterprises on Turkish real estate, business formation, residency, and private legal affairs — and Turkish clients on their dealings inside Iran. In Persian, Turkish, and English.

Request a consultation → Areas of practice

Where there is determination, a way will be found.

Persian
Türkçe
English
01 / The Practice

One office.
Two jurisdictions.
Native counsel on both sides of the border

Cross-border legal work between Iran and Türkiye is rarely a matter of translating documents from one language into another. It is a matter of translating between two legal systems, two regulatory cultures, two ways of structuring a transaction — and doing so without friction, delay, or the quiet errors that appear months later as a stuck title deed, a frozen bank account, or a case in the wrong forum.

Himayet was established on a simple premise: that clients with business on both sides of the border deserve counsel who are native to both sides. The practice is led by two partners — one admitted to the bar in Tehran, one to the bar in Ankara — working together from a single office in the Turkish capital.

Our work is conducted in Persian, Turkish, and English. Our clients are private individuals, family offices, small and mid-sized enterprises, and occasionally foreign counsel seeking a reliable local partner.

02 / Areas of Practice

Eight practice areas,
grounded in the realities of bilateral work

Each of the areas below is shaped by the specific problems that arise when a matter has its legal centre of gravity in one country and its practical centre of gravity in the other. We work across all of them; most client files touch two or three.

01

Real Estate
& Property

For most Iranian clients, the first question is real estate — an apartment in Çankaya, a villa on the Aegean coast, or a commercial property held for rental yield. Turkish law places specific conditions on acquisitions by foreign nationals, and Iranian buyers face practical constraints that are usually invisible from abroad. We handle the full arc of an acquisition.

  • Due diligence on title, encumbrances, zoning
  • Military security clearance for foreign buyers
  • TAPU transfer and notary representation
  • Citizenship through property investment
  • Rental agreements & landlord–tenant disputes
  • Partition and inheritance of real estate
  • Construction contracts and joint ventures
  • Valuation reports and SPK-licensed appraisers
02

Business
& Commercial Law

Iranian entrepreneurs increasingly structure their international activity through Turkish vehicles — limited companies, joint stock companies, branch offices. Turkish counterparties, in turn, maintain commercial relationships inside Iran that require careful contract drafting and a sober reading of regulatory risk. We advise on company formation, commercial contracts, and the full operational life of a bilateral business.

  • LLC, JSC, branch, and liaison office formation
  • Shareholder and joint venture agreements
  • Distribution, agency, and supply contracts
  • Import–export documentation and customs
  • Labour law for foreign staff and founders
  • Trademark and IP registration in Türkiye
  • Corporate governance and board advisory
  • Banking, payments, and compliance posture
03

Residency,
Citizenship & Immigration

A legal strategy for a family or a founder is rarely complete without a clear answer to the question of status. Türkiye offers several routes — short-term residence, long-term residence, family residence, student residence, work permits, and citizenship by investment or naturalisation — each with its own paperwork, timelines, and pitfalls. We build a plan and execute it.

  • Short-term and long-term residence permits
  • Family residence and dependents
  • Work permits for employees and founders
  • Turkish citizenship by investment
  • Naturalisation through ordinary residence
  • Student and academic residence
  • Appeals against negative decisions
  • Address registration and civil formalities
04

Family, Inheritance
& Private Law

Marriages, divorces, guardianship arrangements, and estates that cross the Iran–Türkiye border are among the most sensitive files we handle. The two legal systems make different assumptions about jurisdiction, applicable law, recognition of foreign judgments, and inheritance shares. Our role is to reduce that complexity to a clear plan for the people involved.

  • Registration of foreign marriages and divorces
  • Cross-border divorce and jurisdiction analysis
  • Child custody across the two systems
  • Bi-jurisdictional inheritance & estate planning
  • Powers of attorney valid in both jurisdictions
  • Name changes and civil registry corrections
  • Wills, trusts, and family settlements
  • Apostille and consular legalisation
05

Dispute
Resolution

When negotiation reaches its limit, we litigate or arbitrate. Our practice covers commercial disputes before Turkish courts, arbitration under ICC and ISTAC rules, and the recognition and enforcement of Iranian judgments and arbitral awards in Türkiye — and, where appropriate, the reverse direction. We prefer to settle; we are prepared to try.

  • Commercial litigation in Turkish courts
  • Domestic and international arbitration
  • Enforcement of foreign judgments and awards
  • Debt recovery and execution proceedings
  • Criminal defence in commercial matters
  • Mediation and pre-litigation negotiation
  • Interim injunctions and asset preservation
  • White-collar investigations and response
06

Contract Law
& Commercial Agreements

We provide comprehensive legal support throughout every stage of commercial contracting — from drafting preliminary agreements and contractual documents through negotiation to final execution. Our bicultural fluency in the commercial and legal cultures of both Türkiye and Iran allows us to identify risks and ambiguities at an early stage, helping clients prevent disputes, financial losses, and breaches. When a contract is violated, we act decisively through advisory, mediation, arbitration, litigation, enforcement, termination, compensation claims, and the recovery of funds or goods.

  • Partnership agreements
  • Sale and purchase agreements
  • Investment agreements
  • Franchise and agency agreements
  • Construction and contractor agreements
  • Consultancy and service agreements
  • Employment and commission contracts
  • Distribution and tailored cross-border contracts
07

Enforcement of
Court Judgments

Obtaining a favourable judgment is only the first step in securing your rights — its effective enforcement is what makes justice real. We initiate and manage proceedings before the competent Enforcement Offices (İcra Daireleri), pursue recognition and enforcement (tanıma ve tenfiz) of foreign judgments and arbitral awards before Turkish courts, and take all necessary measures — asset tracing, attachment, precautionary relief, forced execution — to protect our clients' interests when there is non-compliance.

  • Initiation and follow-up of enforcement proceedings
  • Execution of court judgments and payment orders
  • Recognition and enforcement of foreign judgments and awards
  • Asset investigation and debt recovery strategies
  • Attachment and seizure of movable and immovable assets
  • Enforcement of receivables (bank accounts, salaries, third-party claims)
  • Objection proceedings and defence against enforcement actions
  • Negotiation and settlement during enforcement
08

Education
& Academic Pathways

For many individuals and families, access to quality education is the first step toward building a future in Türkiye. From university admission to academic residence and long-term settlement, the process requires careful planning, accurate documentation, and familiarity with both educational and immigration frameworks. We design a clear pathway and manage each stage with precision.

  • University admissions and application strategy
  • Equivalency (denklik) and diploma recognition
  • Preparation and verification of academic documents
  • Student residence permits and extensions
  • Transfers between universities and programmes
  • Academic appeals and administrative procedures
  • Transition from student status to work permits
  • Long-term residence and pathways to citizenship
03 / The Partners

Two founders.
Complementary admissions, shared files

Maedeh Erfani
Maedeh Erfani
Founding Partner · Iranian Counsel
Admissions: Alborz Bar Association (Iran)
Languages: Persian · English · Turkish
Education: Ph.D. in Public Law, Shahid Beheshti University · Postdoctoral Researcher, Middle East Technical University (Ankara)

With over twelve years of legal practice in Iran before relocating to Ankara, Maedeh Erfani specialises in civil and commercial litigation, contracts, public-law disputes, and family matters. She has particular experience handling files for clients based abroad and acting as legal representative for Iranian companies in Türkiye, delivering cross-border legal services with a strong command of enforcement and contractual issues.

Fatih Yamen
Fatih Yamen
Founding Partner · Turkish Counsel
Admissions: Ankara Bar Association (Ankara Barosu)
Languages: Turkish · English (basic) · German (basic)
Education: Ankara University Faculty of Law, 1988

Fatih Yamen graduated from Ankara University Faculty of Law in 1988 and, after practising in Kocaeli, Gebze, İstanbul, and İzmir, co-founded Denge Hukuk Bürosu in Ankara — now operating as GFD Hukuk. He specialises in private-law matters, with extensive experience in damages, contract, and real-estate law, as well as administrative and tax disputes and employment law. Over many years he has served as long-term counsel and adviser to national and international companies including Colorobbia-Bittosi (Italy), Alarko Holding, Akfen Holding, Inductotherm İndüksiyon Sistemleri, Plascam Plastik, and Metrotel, among others.

04 / The Ankara Advantage

Our practice is in Ankara, by design

Ankara is where the General Directorate of Land Registry and Cadastre holds every title deed in the country, where the central civil and criminal courts adjudicate the matters most relevant to our clients, where the Directorate General of Migration Management processes every residency and citizenship file, and where the Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Iran and its consular section are based. For a bilateral practice, proximity to these institutions is not a luxury — it is operating efficiency.

01

Tapu & Kadastro

Direct access to the land registry for title questions, encumbrance checks, and filings.

02

Göç İdaresi

All residence and citizenship files route through Ankara. We are minutes from the desk.

03

Iranian Consular Section

Notarisations, powers of attorney, and document legalisation handled on short notice.

04

Courts of Record

Central courts for commercial, administrative, and family matters are all seated here.

05 / How We Work

A process designed to produce no surprises

— 01 Consultation

Initial conversation

A one-hour meeting, in the language of your choice, in which we understand the matter, identify the legal questions, and tell you — honestly — whether we are the right firm to handle it. No obligation, fixed fee.

— 02 Engagement

Scope & fee letter

A written engagement letter setting out scope, deliverables, timelines, and fees. We work on fixed fees where we can and hourly rates where we must. You will not be surprised by an invoice.

— 03 Execution

The work itself

A named partner as your single point of contact. Regular updates in your preferred language. Documents organised so that you — or any future counsel — can pick up the file at any moment.

— 04 Afterwards

Ongoing relationship

Most of our clients return. We keep client files indefinitely, refresh powers of attorney when they expire, and stand ready when the next matter arises on either side of the border.

06 / Frequent Questions

Questions we hear often

Can you represent me remotely, while I am still in Iran?

Yes. Most of our Iranian clients first engage us before arriving in Türkiye. With a properly executed power of attorney — notarised at the Turkish embassy in Tehran, or at a Turkish notary during a visit — we can complete most real estate and corporate work without requiring your continuous presence.

Do you advise on sanctions exposure?

We advise on the regulatory framework as a matter of Turkish law and general international exposure. We do not provide US or EU sanctions legal advice as a matter of those jurisdictions' own laws; where those regimes are implicated, we coordinate with specialised foreign counsel and assist in structuring the Turkish-law side of the file accordingly.

In what language will we communicate?

Your choice of Persian, Turkish, or English. Our partners work natively in at least two of these. Formal documents are produced in the language required by the forum, with sworn translations where necessary.

How are your fees structured?

Fixed fees for standard matters — title transfer, company formation, residence permit applications, power of attorney drafting. Hourly rates for litigation, negotiation-intensive transactions, and bespoke advisory work. A scope-and-fee letter precedes every engagement.

Can you refer me to counsel in other Turkish cities?

Yes. We maintain working relationships with trusted firms in Istanbul, İzmir, Antalya, and the southeastern provinces, and will instruct them on your behalf when local attendance is required — while remaining the single point of contact for the file.

Do you work with foreign counsel?

Regularly. We often serve as Turkish or Iranian local counsel to international firms handling a matter for a mutual client. Co-counsel arrangements are straightforward: we confirm scope, fees, and privilege protocols at the outset.

07 / Contact

Write to us.
Briefly. In any of our three languages

For an initial consultation, please write with a short description of the matter and your preferred language of communication. We aim to respond within one business day.

Office
Cinnah Caddesi, Kırkpınar Sokak No: 10–15
Çankaya, Ankara, Türkiye
Telephone
+90 537 989 20 52
WhatsApp
+90 537 989 20 52
Office Hours
Monday–Friday
09:00–18:00 TRT