A payment order arrives from a Turkish enforcement office (icra dairesi). Attached is a promissory note, and the signature on it is not yours. Many people assume a forgery will simply come to light on its own. Turkish enforcement law works the other way round: if you do not object in time, the signature is treated as yours for the purposes of that enforcement proceeding. In most cases the deadline is five days.
This article explains, with reference to the Turkish Enforcement and Bankruptcy Law (İcra ve İflas Kanunu, “İİK”), where and within how many days a signature objection must be filed, how the enforcement court examines the signature and what an unfounded objection costs. It is written for debtors living abroad and for the lawyers who advise them. The procedural strategy belongs with a Turkish lawyer; our field is the forensic examination of the signature itself.
In brief
- For enforcement based on a promissory note (bono), cheque or bill of exchange, the signature objection must reach the enforcement court within 5 days of service of the payment order.
- For an ordinary note or other private document enforced without a judgment, the deadline is 7 days, the objection goes to the enforcement office, and the denial of the signature must be stated separately and expressly.
- Miss the deadline and the signature counts as yours in that proceeding.
- If the signature turns out to be yours, the court imposes a fine of 10% of the claim and, where the proceeding was suspended, compensation of at least 20%.
- Deadlines and rates reflect the İİK as in force on 14 October 2026.
The signature on the note is not mine. What should I do first?
Write down the date the payment order was served on you and start counting. Then identify the type of document, because both the deadline and the authority depend on it. A promissory note (bono), a cheque and a bill of exchange are negotiable instruments (kambiyo senedi); enforcement based on them follows a special procedure for negotiable instruments. A rental agreement, an IOU or a handwritten undertaking is an ordinary private document (adi senet) and is enforced through the general procedure without a court judgment (ilamsız takip). The payment order states which procedure was used.
Keep a copy of the note and find out where the original is. In enforcement based on a negotiable instrument, the creditor must lodge the original with the enforcement office when filing1. That original is what the court will examine.
How many days do I have to object to the signature on a promissory note or cheque?
Five days. Within five days of service of the payment order, you must state in a written petition to the enforcement court (icra mahkemesi) that the signature is not yours. The law requires the payment order itself to carry this warning (İİK 168/1-4): if the debtor does not object within five days, the signature on the instrument is deemed to originate from him or her in that enforcement proceeding.
The objection does not automatically stop the enforcement measures, only the sale of seized assets1. Attachments can continue. If the court considers the objection serious on the basis of the petition and its annexes, it may suspend the proceeding provisionally, on the papers and without hearing the creditor (İİK 170/2). A bare “this is not my signature” is weak; an objection supported by documents showing why the signature cannot be yours gives the court a reason to suspend.
How do I object to the signature on an ordinary note?
Within seven days, at the enforcement office. In general enforcement without a judgment, the debtor files the objection with the enforcement office, in writing or orally. A common mistake: objecting to the debt is not the same as denying the signature. The law requires a debtor who denies the signature to say so “separately and expressly”; otherwise the signature is deemed accepted for the enforcement proceeding (İİK 62).
A timely objection stops the proceeding (İİK 66). The creditor then has six months to ask the enforcement court to lift the objection provisionally (İİK 68/a). At that hearing a debtor who denied the signature must attend in person unless an excuse was notified in advance. If the summons states this consequence and the debtor does not appear, the court lifts the objection without examining anything else and fines the debtor 10% of the claim. For clients abroad, this attendance rule is often the single most important practical point to plan for with the Turkish lawyer.
How does the enforcement court examine whose signature it is?
It compares the disputed signature with reference signatures and, if needed, appoints a court expert (bilirkişi). Under İİK 68/a the court uses an existing reference signature if one is available; otherwise the judge has the debtor write and sign in the courtroom. The judge forms a view from these comparisons and from other evidence and may order an expert examination. The same procedure applies to objections against negotiable instruments (İİK 170/3).
A signature written in the courtroom is a weak reference on its own: a person denying a signature may alter their movement, deliberately or not. The examination draws its real strength from signatures given before official bodies close to the date of the disputed note, such as bank signature cards, notarial deeds, land registry and civil registry records, or tax and social security filings. For a debtor living abroad, signatures given at a Turkish consulate or before a notary may also be relevant; the lawyer can ask the court to obtain them. We explain which documents work best in our article on reference samples for handwriting comparison.
What happens if my objection is rejected?
The sanction is heavy. If the denied signature proves to be the debtor’s, the court fines the debtor 10% of the claim. If the proceeding had been suspended because of the objection, compensation of at least 20% of the claim is added (İİK 170/3). On a note for TRY 500,000 that means a TRY 50,000 fine and at least TRY 100,000 in compensation.
The creditor carries a mirror risk. If the signature is found not to be the debtor’s and the creditor acted in bad faith or with gross negligence in enforcing the note, the creditor is ordered to pay at least 20% compensation and a 10% fine (İİK 170/4). This two-way risk is exactly why a technical assessment of the signature before filing makes sense: knowing that the signature really belongs to someone else strengthens the petition and protects you from an unexpected penalty.
Is a private expert opinion useful before the enforcement court?
Yes. It can be filed; it does not bind the judge, but it guides the court. Article 293 of the Turkish Code of Civil Procedure (HMK) allows the parties to obtain a scientific opinion from an expert of their choice on the matter in dispute3. In a signature objection, such an opinion helps in two places: attached to the petition, it supports the request for suspension; filed after the court expert’s report, it tests that report’s method and conclusion. See our page on private expert opinions and our article on whether a private forensic report is accepted in Turkish courts.
Because the original note sits with the enforcement office, the first assessment is usually made on a copy or a high-resolution scan, which you or your lawyer can send us from abroad. This preliminary review shows whether the signature carries signs of simulation; a firm conclusion requires the original, where pen pressure and line quality can be examined. Our signature examination reports the two stages separately and states the limits of working from a copy.
Can I also file a criminal complaint for the forged signature?
Yes. The objection before the enforcement court concerns only that enforcement proceeding; forging a note is a separate crime. Under Article 210 of the Turkish Criminal Code (TCK), forgery of negotiable instruments payable to order, such as promissory notes and cheques, is punished under the provisions on forgery of official documents, and TCK 204/1 provides for imprisonment of two to five years2. An ordinary note is a private document; forging and using it carries one to three years under TCK 207.
The complaint is filed with the public prosecutor’s office and runs independently of the enforcement proceeding. The debtor may also bring an action for a negative declaratory judgment (menfi tespit davası) before the general courts; the enforcement court’s decision does not take away the creditor’s right to sue under general rules either (İİK 170/3). Which route to take, and in what order, depends on the file and should be decided with a Turkish lawyer. Common forgery methods are collected in how to detect a forged promissory note.
Living outside Türkiye? The whole examination can be handled remotely, from an online consultation to a report in English or German. See forensic document examination from abroad.
This article is for general information and is not legal advice. Deadlines and sanctions are stated according to the Turkish Enforcement and Bankruptcy Law and Criminal Code as in force on 14 October 2026.
Not your signature on a Turkish payment order?
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Sources
- Turkish Enforcement and Bankruptcy Law No. 2004 (İİK), Art. 62, 66, 68, 68/a, 167, 168, 170. mevzuat.gov.tr
- Turkish Criminal Code No. 5237 (TCK), Art. 204, 207, 210. mevzuat.gov.tr
- Turkish Code of Civil Procedure No. 6100 (HMK), Art. 293. mevzuat.gov.tr
Frequently Asked Questions
When does the deadline for a signature objection start?
On the date the payment order is served. It is 5 days for promissory notes, cheques and bills of exchange and 7 days for ordinary notes enforced without a judgment (İİK 168, 62).
Does a signature objection stop the attachment of my assets?
For negotiable instruments the objection stops only the sale; other measures continue unless the enforcement court suspends the proceeding provisionally (İİK 170). For ordinary notes, a timely objection stops the proceeding (İİK 66).
Which documents are needed for the signature comparison?
Signatures given before official bodies close to the date of the disputed note, such as bank signature cards, notarial deeds, land registry, civil registry, tax or social security records. A signature written in the courtroom is not a sufficient reference on its own.
Can the signature be examined without the original note?
A preliminary assessment can be made from a copy or a high-resolution scan sent from abroad. Pen pressure and line quality can only be examined on the original, so a firm conclusion requires it; in negotiable instrument enforcement the original is held by the enforcement office.
