⚖️ Aviation Law Firm in Turkey: Control Over an Asset That Crosses Borders Freely

Aviation Law Firm in Turkey for foreign lessors, airlines, financiers and operators: Oznur & Partners advises on aircraft leasing, repossession, Cape Town remedies, SHGM compliance, disputes and enforcement of foreign awards.

An aircraft is the most mobile asset in commerce and, the moment a dispute begins, the most easily immobilized. For a foreign lessor, financier or airline, that paradox is the whole problem: the asset crosses borders freely, but legal control over it stops at the edge of a jurisdiction you do not run. The questions that follow are always the same in spirit, even when the facts differ. What protection does a lessor actually have if a Turkish lessee stops paying. How quickly, and by what route, can an aircraft be recovered once a lease is in default. Can the asset be stopped from leaving Turkey, and by whom. Is Turkey a creditor-friendly place to finance and lease aircraft, or a difficult one. Can a foreign operator do business here at all without first establishing a local company. This page is built around those questions, because they are the ones foreign aviation companies actually ask.

Most foreign companies do not arrive in Turkish aviation through curiosity. They arrive through a lease nearing default, an asset that must be recovered, a permit that must be secured before a route opens, or a claim that has already been filed against them. The legal questions are rarely abstract. They are operational, time-sensitive, and measured in grounded aircraft, frozen receivables and launch dates that will not move. The honest answer to most of them is not a slogan but a sequence: which remedy applies, where Turkey’s particular position changes the result, and what must be done, in what order, before a recoverable position becomes a stranded one.

This page sets out what an aviation law firm in Turkey does for foreign operators in precisely that situation, and how Oznur & Partners approaches aviation matters in Turkey for clients who manage them in English and decide them at board level. Our analysis is built on the live statutory framework, including the Law No. 7519 amendments that entered into full force in January 2026, and it is published in depth rather than reduced to a single service page. The structured remedy is usually visible to everyone. The structure that makes it work, or quietly defeat you, is not. That second part is the work.

⚖️ What a Turkish Aviation Law Firm Does for Foreign Operators?

A Turkish aviation law firm translates Turkey’s aviation regime into the four answers a foreign client actually needs: whether an asset can be recovered, whether an operation is lawful, whether a debt is enforceable, and how long each takes.
Aviation law in Turkey sits at the intersection of several regimes that rarely speak the same language: the Turkish Civil Aviation Act (Law No. 2920), the amendments introduced by Law No. 7519 whose changes entered into full force in January 2026, international instruments such as the Cape Town Convention and the Montreal Convention, and the day-to-day regulatory practice of the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (SHGM). An aviation law firm in Turkey working in this field for foreign clients does not simply recite these texts. It translates them into the answer the client actually needs: can I recover my asset, can I operate lawfully, can I enforce what I am owed, and how long will it take.

For foreign operators, the practical scope of an aviation law firm in Turkey covers leasing and financing structures, aircraft registration and deregistration, repossession after default, regulatory permits and SHGM compliance, ground handling and airport agreements, passenger and cargo liability, insurance and dispute resolution, and the enforcement of foreign judgments and arbitral awards in Turkey. Each of these is a distinct discipline rather than a single service line.

Oznur & Partners works on these matters in English, with foreign lessors, airlines, financiers and service providers as the intended client rather than as an afterthought to a domestic practice. That is the defining choice of an aviation law firm in Turkey built for foreign capital. Our broader analysis of the legal framework is set out in our guide to aviation law in Turkey for foreign operators, which addresses the statutory architecture in detail.

⚖️ Why Do Foreign Lessors, Airlines and Financiers Need Local Counsel in Turkey?

They need local counsel because contractual rights drafted under English or New York law must ultimately be given effect through Turkish procedure, Turkish courts and Turkish regulators, and that interface is far cheaper to secure before a dispute than after one matures.
Turkey is not a peripheral aviation market. Istanbul is one of the busiest connecting hubs in the world, Turkish carriers operate large and growing fleets, and the country hosts significant maintenance, repair and overhaul capacity. For lessors and financiers, this means substantial aircraft exposure sits on Turkish soil at any given moment, which is exactly why foreign capital retains an aviation law firm in Turkey before friction appears rather than after. For foreign airlines and charter operators, it means routine contact with Turkish airports, ground handlers, customs authorities and the civil aviation regulator.

That exposure is manageable when nothing goes wrong. The difficulty arises at the point of friction, which is not always visible at the outset but is always felt later. A lessee misses payments. An aircraft is detained over a commercial dispute or a regulatory question. A passenger claim escalates into multi-jurisdictional litigation. A permit application stalls weeks before a planned launch. In each case, the foreign party discovers that its contractual rights, however carefully drafted under English or New York law, must ultimately be given effect through Turkish procedure, Turkish courts or Turkish regulators.

Local counsel does not replace your existing legal team. This is where an aviation law firm in Turkey earns its place: it gives that team a reliable interface with the Turkish system, someone who can assess whether a remedy is realistically available, how a Turkish court or the SHGM is likely to treat it, and what must be done, in what order, to preserve the client’s position. The cost of acquiring that interface before a problem matures is always lower than acquiring it after.

⚖️ Specialist Aviation Counsel, Not a General Firm With an Aviation Page

Many Turkish firms list aviation among their practice areas. Far fewer treat it as a vertical with the depth that lessors, financiers and operators actually require. The distinction matters because aviation work is unforgiving of generalists: the Cape Town Convention, IDERA mechanics, International Registry priority, deregistration practice before the SHGM and the enforcement of foreign awards are not topics a corporate team absorbs over a weekend.

The difference is visible in how a question is answered. A general firm tends to describe the law. A specialist describes the outcome: which remedy applies, where Turkey’s particular position changes the result, and what the realistic sequence and timing look like in practice. Competence in this field is shown through specificity, not asserted through adjectives. The structure of this page is intended to demonstrate exactly that, which is how an aviation law firm in Turkey should signal competence to foreign clients.

Oznur & Partners positions itself as an aviation law firm in Turkey at the intersection that is genuinely underserved: English-language counsel, for foreign capital, on Turkish aviation matters, with a body of published, structured analysis behind it rather than a single thin service page.

⚖️ Aircraft Leasing, Financing and the Cape Town Convention in Turkey

Cross-border leasing and asset-backed financing are the highest-value aviation matters for foreign clients in Turkey, and the area where local positioning most affects the result. Turkish operators routinely take aircraft on dry leases, wet leases and finance leases from international lessors, and those arrangements depend on the lessor’s security being recognised and enforceable in Turkey.

Turkey is a Contracting State to the Convention on International Interests in Mobile Equipment and its Aircraft Protocol, commonly known as the Cape Town Convention. The Aircraft Protocol took effect for Turkey on 1 December 2011. This brings into play the International Registry, the recognition of international interests, and the Irrevocable De-Registration and Export Request Authorisation (IDERA) as a creditor remedy. In principle, a lessor or financier can register its interest internationally and rely on the priority and enforcement mechanisms the Convention provides.

The qualification that sophisticated clients should note is this: a Contracting State’s specific declarations shape how these remedies operate in practice, and Turkish procedure governs how they are exercised on the ground. Whether a particular self-help, deregistration or insolvency remedy is available, and on what timeline, is assessed against Turkey’s declarations and current practice rather than assumed from the treaty text. For lessors and financiers, this is the single most important point to get right before signing, and it sits at the core of how an aviation law firm in Turkey should structure and review aviation finance arrangements.

⚖️ Aircraft Repossession and Deregistration in Turkey

When a Turkish lessee defaults, the lessor’s objective is narrow and urgent: recover the asset, lawfully, before its value or location deteriorates. In Turkey this can engage several routes, including contractual remedies, Cape Town Convention mechanisms such as IDERA-based deregistration, precautionary measures before the courts, and, where required, enforcement proceedings.

The realistic path depends on the documentation, whether an IDERA was granted and properly lodged, the cooperation or resistance of the lessee, and any competing detention by authorities or creditors. We do not publish fixed timelines or outcome guarantees for repossession, because the honest answer is that they vary with the facts and Turkey’s specific Convention position. What an aviation law firm in Turkey does in a default is assess each case against current practice and set out the fastest defensible route, taking account of the documentation, the Convention position and any competing claims on the aircraft at the time recovery begins.

⚖️ Did Turkey’s Aviation Compliance Rules Change in 2026? What the Law No. 7519 Framework Now Requires

Yes. Law No. 7519 amended the Turkish Civil Aviation Act and its changes entered into full force in January 2026, moving Turkey closer to ICAO standards and the Chicago Convention and changing what SHGM compliance requires of foreign operators.

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation, known in Turkey as the SHGM and internationally as the DGCA, is the regulator that foreign operators encounter most directly. It administers operator permits, registration, airworthiness oversight, and a wide range of approvals on which lawful operation depends. Engagement with the SHGM is procedural, document-driven and time-sensitive, and missteps are measured in delayed launches and administrative sanctions.

The regulatory baseline is the Turkish Civil Aviation Act, Law No. 2920, as substantially amended by Law No. 7519, whose changes entered into full force in January 2026 and moved Turkey’s framework closer to ICAO standards and the Chicago Convention. Foreign operators planning to enter or expand in Turkey should treat the 2026 framework as a reason to audit existing arrangements rather than assume continuity, because compliance requirements that applied before the amendments may no longer be sufficient.

Foreign ownership and control requirements apply to nationally licensed Turkish carriers, which is a frequent and consequential point for investors considering a Turkish operation. Whether a structure works, and how it should be built, is a fact-specific regulatory question that should be resolved before any commitment is made, covering operator permits, the 2026 changes under Law No. 7519, and the position on commercial drones and advanced air mobility. This is precisely where an aviation law firm in Turkey adds value before a launch date rather than after one is missed. The regulator’s own materials are published by the SHGM.

⚖️ Aviation Disputes, Arbitration and Enforcement in Turkey

Aviation disputes reach Turkey in several forms: lessor and financier claims on default, airline and manufacturer litigation, hull and liability insurance disputes, passenger and cargo claims, and cross-border enforcement. The right forum is not automatic. Many high-value aviation contracts provide for arbitration in London, Paris, Dubai or Singapore, which raises the question that decides whether a favourable award is worth anything: can it be enforced against assets or counterparties in Turkey.

Turkey is a party to the New York Convention on the Recognition and Enforcement of Foreign Arbitral Awards, and foreign arbitral awards are, as a general matter, enforceable in Turkey subject to the Convention’s grounds for refusal and Turkish procedure. Foreign court judgments follow a separate recognition and enforcement regime under Turkish private international law. Passenger and carrier liability is governed largely by the Montreal Convention, to which Turkey is a party. Each of these regimes carries its own conditions and exceptions, which is where an aviation law firm in Turkey with enforcement experience materially affects the result, and why forum selection at the contract stage and disciplined handling at the enforcement stage both deserve early attention.

⚖️ Ground Handling, Airport Agreements and Operational Law

Foreign carriers operating to and from Turkish airports rely on a chain of operational agreements: ground handling, fuelling, catering, maintenance and slot arrangements at major hubs such as Istanbul Airport. These contracts allocate liability, set service standards and govern what happens when something fails on the apron. They are frequently signed quickly and reviewed only after a dispute, which is the most expensive time to discover an unfavourable allocation of risk.

Ground handling agreements often follow IATA standard forms, but the operative terms, the local annexes and the interaction with Turkish liability law determine the actual exposure. As an aviation law firm in Turkey, we advise on the negotiation and review of these arrangements, and on disputes arising from them, with particular attention to the allocation of liability for apron incidents and how those terms sit alongside Turkish law. Related operational and aviation security questions are handled on the same basis.

⚖️ Tax and Corporate Structuring for Foreign Aviation Businesses

Aviation rarely arrives alone. A lessor receiving lease rentals, an operator establishing a Turkish presence, or an investor financing aircraft will face corporate and tax questions alongside the regulatory ones: the treatment of lease payments and withholding, customs treatment of aircraft and parts, double taxation considerations, and whether to operate through a branch, a subsidiary or a contractual presence. These choices affect the after-tax economics of the entire arrangement and are best resolved before the structure is fixed rather than after.

Oznur & Partners, as an aviation law firm in Turkey, advises foreign aviation clients on these adjacent questions in coordination with the regulatory work, so that the legal structure and the commercial structure align rather than work against each other.

⚖️ Where Local Counsel Changes the Outcome, by Client Type

The following table summarises the core exposure each type of foreign aviation client faces in Turkey and the point at which an aviation law firm in Turkey materially affects the result.

Client type	Core exposure in Turkey	Where counsel changes the outcome
Lessor or financier	Aircraft and engines on lease to Turkish operators; security and priority	Registration of international interests, IDERA mechanics, repossession and deregistration on default
Airline or operator	Operating permits, SHGM compliance, liability for operations in Turkey	Permit strategy, 2026 framework compliance, defence against administrative sanctions
Charter operator	Slots, approvals, operational and contractual compliance	Approval pathways, contract review, risk allocation before launch
MRO or service provider	Service agreements, liens, liability for work performed	Contract terms, security for unpaid work, dispute handling
Insurer or underwriter	Hull and liability exposure, subrogation across jurisdictions	Defence, subrogated recovery, enforcement of awards in Turkey

⚖️ Working With Oznur & Partners on Turkish Aviation Matters

Engagement with our aviation law firm in Turkey usually begins with a narrow, practical question rather than a general retainer: an asset at risk, a permit on a deadline, a claim to defend or enforce. We run a conflict check, assess whether a remedy is realistically available, and set out the next step and likely sequence before any larger commitment is discussed. The work is handled in English, with the understanding that decisions are made at corporate and board level and that timing is often the binding constraint.

Two foreign lessors can hold what looks like the same position on paper and reach very different outcomes in Turkey, depending on documentation, sequence and how early local counsel was engaged. The structured remedy is visible. The structure that makes it work, or fail, is not. That is the part an aviation law firm in Turkey is engaged to handle.

❓ What Foreign Lessors and Airlines Ask About Aviation Law in Turkey

✅ Can a foreign airline sue or be sued in Turkey?

Yes. A foreign airline can both bring claims in Turkey and be made a defendant before Turkish courts, depending on jurisdiction clauses, the place of performance and applicable international conventions. Many aviation contracts specify a foreign forum or arbitration, but claims connected to operations, assets or counterparties in Turkey can still reach Turkish courts. The practical questions are which forum governs, whether a Turkish court will accept or decline jurisdiction, and how a foreign decision will ultimately be enforced in Turkey.

✅ What are the biggest legal risks for foreign aviation companies in Turkey?

The most common high-impact risks are an aircraft becoming difficult to recover after a lessee default, detention of an asset over a commercial or regulatory dispute, administrative sanctions for non-compliance with SHGM requirements, exposure to passenger or cargo liability, and the difficulty of enforcing a foreign judgment or award against Turkish assets. Each is manageable, but usually only if local counsel is engaged before the situation matures rather than after.

✅ Is Turkey a creditor-friendly jurisdiction for aircraft leasing and financing?

Turkey is a Contracting State to the Cape Town Convention and its Aircraft Protocol, which provides internationally recognised mechanisms for security, priority and creditor remedies. How creditor-friendly the position is in a specific case depends on Turkey’s declarations under the Convention, the documentation, and how remedies are exercised through Turkish procedure. The honest assessment is case-specific rather than a blanket yes or no, and we evaluate it against current practice before advising.

✅ Are foreign judgments and arbitration awards enforceable in Turkey?

Foreign arbitral awards are, as a general matter, enforceable in Turkey under the New York Convention, subject to its limited grounds for refusal and Turkish enforcement procedure. Foreign court judgments are recognised and enforced under a separate regime in Turkish private international law, with its own conditions. Enforceability is realistic in many cases but not automatic, which is why forum selection should be planned at the contract stage rather than discovered at enforcement.

✅ Can a foreign aviation company operate in Turkey without establishing a local company?

It depends on the activity. Some aviation business, such as leasing aircraft to a Turkish operator or providing services under contract, can be conducted without a Turkish operating company, while obtaining a national operating licence as a Turkish carrier engages ownership, control and establishment requirements. The right structure should be resolved before commitments are made, since the requirements for a Turkish carrier differ sharply from the position for a lessor or contractual service provider.

✅ How does Oznur & Partners work with foreign aviation clients in English?

Aviation matters are handled in English as standard, with foreign lessors, airlines, financiers and operators as the intended client. Engagement typically starts with a conflict check and a focused assessment of the immediate question, followed by a clear next step and likely sequence. The aim is to give an existing in-house or external legal team a reliable interface with Turkish law, courts and the SHGM.

✅ Is Turkey a party to the Cape Town Convention?

Yes. Turkey is a Contracting State to the Cape Town Convention and its Aircraft Protocol, which took effect for Turkey on 1 December 2011. This engages the International Registry, the recognition of international interests, and IDERA-based creditor remedies, although how those remedies operate in practice depends on Turkey’s specific declarations and Turkish procedure.

✅ How does aircraft repossession work in Turkey after a lease default?

Recovery can engage contractual remedies, Cape Town mechanisms such as IDERA-based deregistration, precautionary court measures and enforcement proceedings. The realistic route and timing depend on the documentation, whether an IDERA was lodged, the lessee’s cooperation and any competing detention. Each case is assessed individually, so the route is best identified case by case rather than assumed in advance.

✅ What are the rights of aircraft lessors when a Turkish lessee defaults?

A lessor’s rights flow from the lease, from registered international interests under the Cape Town Convention, and from Turkish enforcement law. These can include termination, recovery of the aircraft, deregistration and pursuit of outstanding sums. Securing those rights in practice depends heavily on how the documentation was prepared in advance, which often determines how quickly a lessor can act.

✅ Can an aircraft be detained or prevented from leaving Turkey?

Yes. An aircraft can be detained or prevented from departing through precautionary attachment in a commercial dispute, customs or tax measures, or administrative and criminal proceedings. For a foreign owner or lessor, the priority is to identify the basis of the detention quickly and pursue the correct route to release, which differs depending on whether the cause is private, regulatory or criminal.

✅ Can aircraft engines be separately financed and repossessed in Turkey?

Aircraft engines are treated as distinct objects under the Cape Town Convention’s Aircraft Protocol, which allows separate international interests in qualifying engines. In practice this supports separate financing and recovery, subject to documentation and Turkey’s Convention position.

✅ What does SHGM compliance involve for foreign operators?

SHGM compliance covers operator permits, registration, airworthiness, and a range of approvals required for lawful operation, now framed by the 2026 amendments under Law No. 7519. For foreign operators it is largely a procedural and documentary exercise where sequence and timing are decisive, so it helps to map the required approvals well before a planned launch date.

✅ What liabilities can arise from passenger claims in Turkey?

Passenger and carrier liability is governed largely by the Montreal Convention, to which Turkey is a party, covering death and injury, delay, and baggage. Claims can be brought in Turkey where the connecting factors are present, and exposure depends on the Convention’s liability limits and conditions, which should be assessed as soon as a claim arises.

✅ What legal issues affect ground handling agreements at Turkish airports?

Ground handling agreements, often based on IATA standard forms, allocate liability for damage, delay and service failures on the apron. The operative annexes and their interaction with Turkish liability law determine the real exposure, which is why review before signing is far cheaper than dispute resolution afterwards.

✅ How are commercial drone and advanced air mobility operations regulated in Turkey?

Commercial unmanned aerial vehicles and advanced air mobility operations are subject to SHGM licensing, operating permits and an evolving liability framework. For foreign technology and logistics companies entering Turkish airspace, the regulatory pathway and the liability position should be assessed before launch, since both are still developing.