Turkish company check
Verify that a Turkish company is real and reliable before signing or paying
Whether it is a new supplier, a potential customer or a business partner, it is important to really know the other side before making a payment or signing a contract. Yeni İpekyolu (New Silk Road) carries out checks using publicly available trade registry information in Türkiye, chamber records, on-site visits and industry references, and prepares a clear report in Chinese.
Does a professional website prove a company is real?
Check the Trade Registry Gazette before paying an advance
In international trade, parties often know each other only through email, WhatsApp and a few video calls. From a distance, it is hard for a Chinese company to tell whether a Turkish company really exists, how big it is and whether the person it is dealing with represents the company. Scams using real company names with fake websites and emails do occur from time to time, and once an advance has been sent, recovering it is usually very difficult.
Türkiye has a fairly well-developed public trade registry system. Company incorporations, changes of shareholders and managers, capital and address changes, and major events such as bankruptcy, liquidation and concordat are generally published in the Trade Registry Gazette (TTSG). By combining this Turkish-only public information with site visits and industry reputation, a relatively reliable baseline assessment of a company can be made.
The line between what public sources reveal and court or bank records
All the sources we use are legally public: Trade Registry Gazette notices, public membership information from chambers and industry associations, company websites and public news, as well as on-site visits and conversations with industry representatives. These sources can usually confirm whether a company exists, how long it has been operating, who its shareholders and managers are, whether any bankruptcy or liquidation notice has been published, and the condition of its actual place of business.
To be clear, court files, bank credit records and tax data are not public in Türkiye; we do not claim access to them and never resort to unofficial channels. The financial statements of most non-listed companies are not published either. If litigation or asset research is needed, a Turkish lawyer should carry it out within the legal framework; for payment security, tools such as credit insurance or a letter of credit can be considered.
Personal accounts, residential addresses and five other red flags
The following situations call for caution: payment being requested to a personal account or an account that does not match the trade name; an email domain that does not match the company website; a newly established company talking about large, long-term orders; a company whose registered address is a residence or virtual office claiming to be a large factory; and prices well below market or unusually relaxed payment terms. These signs do not always mean fraud, but they call for extra verification before payment.
A common mistake is looking only at the company's website and social media. Building a professional-looking website in Türkiye is cheap, and website content is no substitute for registry information and site observation. Some Chinese companies also hesitate to request verification; yet in the Turkish business environment, reasonable verification is generally welcomed, and you can politely ask the other side for an activity certificate or tax plate (vergi levhası).
The full Turkish trade name and tax number are where a check begins
Send us the company's full Turkish trade name and, if possible, its tax or trade registry number; business cards, invoices, contracts, proforma invoices and the other side's bank account details are also very useful. Tell us what you most want to know, such as whether it is really a manufacturer, whether credit terms can be granted, or whether the contact person is authorized to represent the company, and we will plan the check accordingly.
If an issue needs addressing after the report is delivered, we suggest the next step, such as requesting additional documents from the other side, changing the payment method, or having the contract and signing authority reviewed by a Turkish lawyer. We handle translation and communication; the legal assessment is done by the lawyer.
For those verifying before payment, credit sales or choosing a partner
Buyers about to pay an advance to a Turkish supplier
Buyers who want to confirm that the company is genuinely registered, that its address exists and that the person they are dealing with is connected to the company. Scams using the name of a real company are not uncommon, so checking that the company details match the payment account and contact person is especially important.
Exporters selling to Turkish customers on credit terms
Exporters who want to see a customer's years in business, size and any public adverse records before granting payment terms. This information helps you decide on the credit period and whether to require a down payment or other guarantees.
Companies choosing a Turkish partner or distributor
Companies that want to learn about a firm's shareholding structure and history before signing an exclusive agency or joint venture agreement. Published changes of shareholders and managers often give insight into a company's stability.
Exhibitors meeting new customers at trade fairs
Exhibitors who received a large purchase intention at a fair and want to verify the other side before moving forward. A business card collected at a fair offers limited information; a check helps you tell a genuine buyer from a visitor who is only gathering prices.
Registry, shareholding changes, adverse notices and on-site visits
Registration details check
Trade name, registry number, date of incorporation, company type and registered address are checked against public sources such as the Turkish Trade Registry Gazette (TTSG). The information provided by the other side is compared with the public records and any discrepancies are flagged.
Shareholders and management changes
Changes of shareholders, managers, capital and address published in the TTSG are compiled. Frequent changes of address or management do not in themselves indicate a problem, but they are worth noting in the report and investigating.
Public adverse record screening
Records such as bankruptcy, liquidation and concordat (court-approved restructuring) published in the TTSG, as well as public news, are screened. Only legally public sources are used; no non-public data is ever accessed.
Chamber and industry records
Where publicly searchable, membership details with chambers such as İTO (Istanbul Chamber of Commerce) and İSO (Istanbul Chamber of Industry) or industry associations are verified. Chamber membership helps confirm a company's field of activity and status, although the scope of information each chamber discloses differs.
On-site visit (optional)
The registered address or facility is visited and its operating status documented with photographs. Signage, employees, machinery and signs of normal activity are observed to assess whether the company is a manufacturer, a trader or merely a registered address.
Company check report in Chinese
Findings, risk notes and sources are reported together with Chinese summaries of the original Turkish records. The report keeps verified facts separate from our assessments, giving you and your lawyer an easy reference.
Service summary and requirements
| Turnaround | Public-source checks usually 3–5 business days |
|---|---|
| Pricing | Quotation by scope · on-site visit separate |
| Sources | TTSG · chamber records · site visits · industry references |
| Service languages | Chinese · Turkish · English |
| Cities served | Mainly Istanbul; also Ankara, Izmir and other cities |
The final price and timeline depend on your documents and scope; we send a clear quote within 2 hours.
What you need to provide
- The company's full Turkish trade name (or the name on the business card/invoice)
- Tax number or trade registry number, if available
- Address, website and contact person provided by the other side
- Your main concern (e.g. payment risk, whether it is really a manufacturer)
From company details to a company check report in Chinese
- 1
Send the company details
Send the company's trade name, tax number or documents you have, such as a business card, contract or invoice. The more specific the information, the easier it is to find the right company and avoid confusion with similarly named firms.
- 2
Choose the scope
We agree whether you want a public-source check only, or an on-site visit and industry interviews as well. For high-value deals or a first collaboration, we usually recommend adding an on-site visit.
- 3
Checks and visit
Public sources are reviewed and, if needed, an on-site visit or telephone confirmation is carried out. How the visit will be conducted, for example how we introduce ourselves, is agreed with you in advance.
- 4
Delivery of the Chinese report
The report is delivered, your questions are answered and next steps are suggested if needed. If a clear risk emerges, we recommend consulting a lawyer before paying or signing.
Frequently asked questions
Can you access court records and bank credit information?
In Türkiye, court files and bank credit data are not public; we do not claim to access them and do not search them through unofficial channels. What we can do is screen public records such as bankruptcy, liquidation and concordat notices published in the TTSG, and support the assessment with site visits and industry feedback. If litigation research is needed, it should be carried out by a Turkish lawyer within the legal framework.
Does the report guarantee that the other side is risk-free?
No. The report is based on public information and site observation; it helps you reduce risk and spot obvious problems, but it does not replace a legal opinion or credit insurance. Even if the records look positive, we recommend sensible payment methods such as staged payments or a letter of credit.
Will the other side know I am checking them?
Public-source checks require no contact with the other side. If an on-site visit or telephone confirmation is needed, we agree the approach with you in advance, such as whether to disclose the client's identity. We never impersonate a public authority or anyone else.
How long does a company check usually take?
Public-source checks alone are usually completed within a few business days; if an on-site visit is added, the time depends on the city where the address is located and on scheduling. In urgent cases, preliminary findings can be sent first, followed by the full report.
The bank account the other side gave doesn't match the company name. Is this normal?
This is a warning sign that deserves close attention. Legitimate companies usually receive payments into an account in the company's name; if you are asked to pay into a personal account, a third company or an account in another country, we recommend stopping the payment and verifying the company through official, public communication channels. We can help you carry out this confirmation in Turkish.
Can you obtain the company's financial statements?
In Türkiye, the financial statements of most non-listed companies are not public, so they generally cannot be obtained from public sources. Financial information on listed companies is published on public disclosure platforms. For other companies, we assess indirect information such as capital, years in business, on-site scale and industry feedback, and may suggest that you request documents directly from the company.
How can we tell whether a company is a manufacturer or a trader?
The registered field of activity and chamber registration (for example, chamber of industry membership) offer clues, but the most direct way is an on-site visit where production machinery, workers and raw materials can be seen. We include photographs and observation notes in the report for your assessment.
Tell us what you need in Türkiye
Our Chinese-speaking consultant reviews it for free and gives you a clear price and timeline.
