There are no specific licensing requirements to set up a professional services company in Türkiye. Türkiye’s FDI Law is based on the principle of equal treatment and allows international investors to have the same rights and liabilities as local investors. The conditions for setting up a business and transfer of shares are the same as those applied to local investors. International investors may establish any form of company set out in the Turkish Commercial Code (TCC), which provides for a corporate governance approach that meets international standards, fosters private equity and public offering activities, creates transparency in managing operations and brings the Turkish business environment in compliance with EU legislation as well as with the EU accession process. Türkiye has initiated reforms with a view to making it easier to do business in order to enhance the investment environment, eliminating red tape in setting up a business and minimizing costs and procedures. To this end, establishing a company is now only carried out at Trade Registry Directorates located in Chambers of Commerce and designed to be a ‘one-stop shop’. The process is completed within the same day.

To open a legal services company, one needs to have a law degree in Türkiye and be a member of the Bar Association.