In Turkey, an individual’s criminal record can only be accessed by the Attorney General’s Office or the individual themselves after a period of five years has passed since their conviction. This is in line with the right against self-incrimination as outlined in Article 76 of the Turkish Constitution.

To obtain a copy of their criminal record, an individual can authorize a legal attorney registered with the Union of Turkish Bar Associations (https://www.barobirlik.org.tr/en) to apply on their behalf. A list of registered attorneys in Istanbul can be found on the Istanbul Bar Association website (https://www.istanbulbarosu.org.tr/AttorneySearch.aspx).

For foreigners, obtaining a criminal record from Turkey requires an apostille stamp. It is important to provide a Turkish Residence ID Card or ID number to avoid issues that may arise with long Arabic names that may not be recognized by the digital system. The document will only be provided in Turkish, and if the foreigner’s country is part of an apostille agreement, it will be valid in their country and can be translated to their language if necessary. If the country does not have an apostille agreement with Turkey, the document must be approved by the Turkish Consulate in that country to prove its authenticity.

The process of obtaining a criminal record from the Attorney General’s Court department typically takes only a few hours.

Meta keywords: Turkey criminal record check, apostille stamp, Turkish Constitution, Union of Turkish Bar Associations, Istanbul Bar Association, Turkish Residence ID Card

Meta description: This guide explains the process of obtaining a criminal record check in Turkey, including the requirements for apostille stamp and the role of the Union of Turkish Bar Associations and Istanbul Bar Association. The article also covers the importance of having a Turkish Residence ID Card to avoid issues with digital system and the maximum time to get the records.