For people who are not in a position to meet legal fees or litigation costs, the legal system provides three separate routes. Because all of them are called “legal aid” (adli yardım) in practice, they are often confused: the appointment of a lawyer by the bar does not grant exemption from court fees, and a legal aid decision given by a court does not automatically mean that a lawyer is appointed. In this article we set out, as of October 2026, the conditions of each route and where to apply in Istanbul, under Articles 176–181 of the Attorneyship Law, Articles 334–340 of the Code of Civil Procedure (HMK) and the provisions of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CMK).
The three separate routes of legal aid #
| Route | What does it provide? | Where to apply? | Legal basis |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bar legal aid | Free legal services (litigation, proceedings, advice) | The bar’s legal aid office or representative office | Attorneyship Law Art. 176–181 |
| Legal aid from the court | Temporary exemption from court fees and litigation costs and, where necessary, a lawyer whose fee is to be paid later | The court that will hear the case; in enforcement proceedings, the enforcement court | HMK Art. 334–340 |
| Appointment in criminal cases | Defence counsel for the suspect or accused; for certain offences, a representative for the victim | During the investigation the prosecutor’s office or the police; during the prosecution the court | CMK Art. 150, 234, 239 |
If both a lawyer and an exemption from court fees are needed in a civil case, two separate applications may be required: the bar appoints a lawyer, while legal aid for court fees and costs is requested from the court.
Bar legal aid: who can benefit? #
Under Article 176 of the Attorneyship Law, legal aid is the provision of legal services to those who are unable to meet legal fees and other litigation costs. The service is run by the legal aid office set up by the bar’s board of directors from among lawyers (Art. 177). The applicant is expected to show two things:
- Lack of means to pay: Income, assets and social assistance records are shown by documents.
- Merit of the request: The law requires the applicant to show with evidence that the request is justified (Art. 178). For this reason, any contract, official record, correspondence or court papers you hold are attached to the application.
If the request is accepted, the office appoints one or more lawyers; the appointed lawyer becomes obliged to handle the matter once the letter of appointment reaches him or her (Art. 179). This obligation ends if the applicant fails to provide the requested information and documents or refuses to grant a power of attorney. Article 180 of the Law counts five per cent of the amount gained by a person who wins the case and has benefited from legal aid among the revenues of the legal aid office; the undertaking signed at the time of application also includes this obligation.
More than one bar association in Istanbul #
In provinces with more than one bar association, each bar sets up its own legal aid office (Attorneyship Law Art. 177/2). Since the Istanbul Bar Association No. 2 operates in Istanbul alongside the Istanbul Bar Association, the document list and procedure of the bar to which the application is made apply. Requests by courts for a lawyer, on the other hand, are distributed among the lawyers in the province on an equal basis through the electronic system of the Union of Turkish Bar Associations.
Documents requested when applying to the Istanbul Bar Association #
The Istanbul Bar Association’s “Legal Aid Application Documents” page (page date 1 January 2026) lists the following documents:
- Photocopy of the identity card
- Civil registry record from e-Devlet
- Certificate of residence (ikametgâh) from e-Devlet
- e-Devlet vehicle registration query printout
- Nationwide real estate record or Web Tapu query printout
- If employed, a payslip or proof of income; if not employed, an SGK 4A-4B-4C income document
- e-Devlet income test query printout
- e-Devlet Farmer Registration System query printout
- e-Devlet Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry query printouts
- e-Devlet query printout of enforcement files in which one is a creditor or debtor
- e-Devlet query printout of banks where one holds a deposit or participation fund account
- e-Devlet query printout of businesses or companies of which one is the owner, partner or authorised officer
- e-Devlet social assistance information query printout (showing whether an application has been made to the Social Assistance and Solidarity Foundation in the last two years)
- If a case has been filed, a photocopy of the case file
The application form, the undertaking and the privacy notice on personal data are completed at the time of application. The bar’s headquarters are in Beyoğlu, at Orhan Adli Apaydın Sokak off İstiklal Caddesi; the current addresses and opening hours of its branches and offices in the districts are published on the Istanbul Bar Association’s page. Since the document list can be changed by the bar’s board of directors, the current version of the page should be checked before applying.
If the application is refused #
If the request for aid is refused, the person concerned may apply in writing or orally to the president of the bar; the decision of the bar president is final (Attorneyship Law Art. 178). This route does not prevent requesting legal aid from the court.
Legal aid from the court: exemption from court fees and costs #
Under HMK Art. 334, persons who are unable to pay the costs of litigation or proceedings in part or in full without seriously endangering their own and their family’s livelihood may benefit from legal aid, provided that their claim is not manifestly unfounded. For foreigners, reciprocity is additionally required.
What the decision provides (HMK Art. 335) #
- Temporary exemption from all costs of litigation and proceedings
- Exemption from providing security
- Advance payment by the State of the costs required during the case and proceedings
- Where the case needs to be conducted by a lawyer, provision of a lawyer whose fee is to be paid later; this lawyer’s fee is paid from the Treasury as a litigation cost (Art. 340)
The court may also grant only some of these benefits. Legal aid continues until the judgment becomes final, but it does not cover costs incurred earlier (Art. 337/3).
How is the request made? #
The request is made to the court that will hear the main case; in enforcement and bankruptcy proceedings, to the enforcement court at the place where the proceedings are to be conducted; and at the appeal stage, to the regional court of appeal or the Court of Cassation (Art. 336). A summary of the claim, the evidence relied on and documents showing the financial situation are attached to the petition. Papers relating to a legal aid request are exempt from all fees and taxes. You can find which courthouse in Istanbul covers which districts on the Istanbul courthouses page.
Refusal, objection and afterwards #
The court may decide on the request without a hearing; if requested, the examination is held with a hearing. An objection to a refusal decision may be made within two weeks of service by filing a petition with the court that gave the decision; the decision given on the objection is final. If the ability to pay later decreases significantly, a new request may be made (Art. 337). If it emerges that false information was knowingly given about the financial situation or that the situation has subsequently improved sufficiently, the decision is revoked (Art. 338).
Legal aid does not eliminate costs; it defers them: at the end of the case the losing party pays these costs. If the person who benefited from legal aid loses, the court may order payment in equal monthly instalments within at most one year or, where it is clearly understood that collection would cause hardship, exemption from payment in whole or in part (Art. 339).
Appointment of a lawyer by the bar in criminal cases #
In criminal investigations and prosecutions, the appointment of a lawyer is not subject to an income requirement; its conditions are set by the CMK.
- Suspect or accused: Defence counsel is appointed on request for a suspect or accused who declares that he or she is not in a position to choose defence counsel (CMK Art. 150/1). For children, persons disabled to the extent that they cannot defend themselves, or deaf and mute persons, and in offences carrying a minimum penalty of more than five years’ imprisonment, defence counsel is appointed without any request being required (Art. 150/2-3).
- Victim: A victim without a representative may request the appointment of a lawyer by the bar in offences of sexual assault, sexual abuse of children, stalking, intentional injury committed against a woman, torture or torment, and in offences carrying a minimum penalty of more than five years’ imprisonment (Art. 234, Art. 239). If the victim is under eighteen, deaf or mute, or disabled to the extent of being unable to express himself or herself, no request is required.
The request is notified to the police, the prosecutor’s office or the court during the statement or interrogation; no separate application to the bar is needed. The fees for these appointments are met from the special account provided for by the Law (Attorneyship Law Art. 180). For rights during questioning, see our article on giving a statement at the police station and the right of defence.
Legal aid for the mediation fee #
In mediation as a condition of bringing proceedings, the application is free of charge; if the parties do not reach agreement, a two-hour fee is paid from the Ministry of Justice budget. According to the statement of the Mediation Department, a party who is unable to meet the fee may benefit from legal aid by decision of the civil judge of peace at the place where the mediation office is located. For the locations of the offices, see our article on mediation offices in Istanbul.
What to prepare before applying #
- A short note describing the dispute and what you are requesting
- Any contract, correspondence, official record (tutanak) or report you hold and, if any, the case or enforcement file number
- The e-Devlet printouts and income documents listed above
- If there is a time-limited step (objection, response, appeal), the service document from which the time limit started; an application for legal aid does not automatically stop statutory time limits
For the items of litigation costs and their 2026 amounts, see our articles on divorce case costs and, for the fees in the tariff, the Minimum Legal Fee Tariff 2025-2026; for a short definition of the concept, see the legal aid entry in the glossary.
