Verifying the Authority of a Corporate Property Seller in Turkey
When a property is owned by a company, a familiar trade name, a company stamp and a manager signature are not enough to prove a valid power to sell. A defensible review separates two questions and then connects them. First, confirm that the legal entity shown in the trade registry is the same entity registered as owner of the property. Second, confirm that the natural person who will sign or act for that entity has current authority, on the transaction date, for the particular act being performed. TKGM guidance on representation of legal entities explains that land-registry offices use MERSIS data when checking authority evidence. The Ministry of Trade describes MERSIS as the central system used for company registrations, amendments and deregistrations and for storing trade-registry information that must be registered or announced.
Start with the registered owner
Do not begin with the question of who the sales manager is. Begin with the current land-register record and identify the registered owner. Match the legal company name with the province, district, neighbourhood, ada, parcel, independent-unit number and share where relevant. Developers often use project companies, affiliates or companies with similar branding. Similar names do not prove that the entity negotiating with the buyer is the entity that owns the property. If the company named in the contract differs from the registered owner, the relationship must be explained through reliable legal evidence before a binding commitment or substantial payment.
Check the company through MERSIS and the trade registry
Once the owner is fixed, compare the company data with MERSIS and current trade-registry material. Review the full legal name, MERSIS number, registration status, registered seat and company type, then identify the most recent registered changes affecting managers, board members or authorised signatories. In its 12 May 2026 update, the Ministry of Trade states that MERSIS is used electronically for company registration, amendments and deregistration and that entities are brought together under a unique number. This matters because an old trade-registry gazette or old board decision can be historically authentic while no longer describing who is authorised today.
A management title is not the same as disposal authority
Seeing a person listed as a manager does not automatically answer whether that person may sell real estate alone. Read the representation rule. Determine whether the person signs individually or jointly, whether the authority is time limited or subject limited, whether it is linked to a branch or office and whether a later filing changed the signature rule. The purpose is to build a clear chain from the registered corporate owner to the person appearing for the transaction. A large file of documents does not close the issue if none of them establishes that chain. Where the company is represented jointly, one signature does not become sufficient merely because a corporate stamp is present.
Test authority against the specific transaction
The review should ask whether the representative authority covers the act that will actually occur: sale of this property, creation of a mortgage, signature of a preliminary sale arrangement, receipt of price or issuance of payment instructions. Authority sufficient for routine management may not be enough for a particular real-estate disposition if the company records or representation rules require an additional resolution or a second signature. Read the appointment decision, authority evidence and current registry information together instead of relying on a job title, email signature or business card.
Separate corporate authority from a personal power of attorney
If the registered corporate representative does not attend personally and instead uses an attorney, there are now two authority layers. The first is the authority of the corporate representative within the company. The second is the authority granted to the attorney. The power of attorney must therefore be reviewed in its own right for scope, date, form and acceptability in the land-registry procedure. A weak underlying corporate authority cannot be cured by issuing a broad power of attorney. Likewise, notarisation of a signature or translation does not by itself establish that the company owns the property.
Verify payment instructions independently
Seller identity and representative authority do not make every bank account sent by email or messaging application safe. The beneficiary should ordinarily match the contracting corporate entity or there should be a documented and understandable legal basis for a different beneficiary. A request to transfer the purchase price to a personal account of an employee, manager or third party requires independent verification. If the account or beneficiary changes near closing, recheck who issued the instruction and whether that person had authority to approve the change. Do not rely only on an old email chain.
Recheck after changes and before closing
Management and signature rules can change between reservation, due diligence and registration. A MERSIS or trade-registry check should not remain frozen at the date of the first meeting. If there is information about a resignation, new appointment, merger, change of seat or corporate restructuring, obtain current evidence and rebuild the authority chain. Immediately before closing, confirm again that the same company remains the registered owner, the representative matches the documents being used for registration and any required joint signature is present.
What should the transaction file preserve?
Keep the land-register record used to establish ownership, the MERSIS or trade-registry evidence used for the corporate review, relevant representation documents or corporate decisions, signer identification within applicable data-protection limits, the executed agreement and the verified payment instruction. Record when each item was obtained and who reviewed it. If a later document replaces an earlier one, do not delete the older version. Mark it as superseded so another reviewer can reconstruct why the decision was reasonable on the date it was made.
Red flags
- The company named in the contract does not match the registered owner and no legal explanation is documented.
- The file relies on a corporate stamp or manager business card instead of current representation evidence.
- The representation rule is joint, but the contract or payment instruction carries only one signature.
- The authority document predates later management or trade-registry changes.
- The price is directed to a personal account without a documented contractual or corporate basis.
- A brokerage or advertising authorisation is presented as if it were authority to dispose of the property.
Frequently asked questions
Does a MERSIS record prove that the company owns the property? No. MERSIS supports corporate and trade-registry verification. Property ownership is checked in the current land register.
Can a manager always sell company real estate alone? No. The current representation rule, scope and any joint-signature or additional-decision requirement must be checked.
Is a company stamp enough? No. A stamp does not replace proof of the legal entity and current signatory authority.