Interpreter - often needed service in Turkey

Whenever you are in Turkey, you may be surprised that a lot of Turkish people notice your orign just by watching you and they are able to use your language properly. Listening to all the different people in a bazaar, you will hear a lot of different nationalities as there is English, German, Dutch and Danish, but also Norwegian and Russian.

It may be that Turkish people have a talent for languages or are getting used to them quickly because of the tourists.

Sometimes it is very surprising how easy they learn the language of foreign people they meet.

For anybody who has to do any kind of business over here, the Turkish laws require that you need the help of an official interpreter in all cases. If you are buying a flat or a villa, everybody in the notary or at the Tapu office will ask for your official interpreter. This is done for your own security and so your interpreter should be someone you can trust and will act as a friend for you. If you can find the right person, he could help you in many different situations.

Some of the official interpreters run a well organised business and offer more service than you may expect, even when there is really no official interpreter required.

There is help for:

Legal aspects of marriage
Help to get your Ikamet (Residency Permit)
Help to get your work permit
Help in establishing a company
Help in any cases requiring medical treatment
Registering of Water, Electricity and Telephone
Buying a car and using MA-number plates
Helping with a notarised letter of attorney.

If you are going to stay over here for a longer period of time, or your plan is to settle over here, you should ask at Altso, your local Chamber of Commerce, for a list of the registered official interpreters, which is available.
Sometimes the help of friends who have already experienced these situations is quite helpful.

Some official paperwork also needs to be translated. For instance, if there is a question about your passport or driving license, (which needs to be notarised), an official translation is required.

There is also another important regulation:

If the notary needs one of your private papers translated into Turkish, the notary and the interpreter need to be registered in the same part of the town. If this is not possible, you need to ask the Kaymakan (official landlord / major for a district) for his signature as well. This means lot of more work.

So, the official interpreter should be seen much more than a simple translator. He can give help in different situations and should be like a good friend to you.

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