You incorporate the company, walk into a bank to open the account, and the first question lands: “May I have your signature circular?” You may also have heard that the signature circular requirement was abolished years ago. Both are true. In Türkiye the imza sirküleri is largely history as a matter of law and very much alive as a matter of habit, and this guide exists to close the distance between the two.
What the circular was, and how it differs from the declaration
The signature circular was a notarised document mapping who could represent the company and within which limits: specimen signatures, the mode of representation (sole or joint) and authority thresholds, all in one paper. The signature declaration (imza beyannamesi) is narrower: it fixes one person’s specimen signature and accompanies incorporation and authority registrations. The circular was the company’s representation map; the declaration is a photograph of one signature.
What the 2021 reform changed
The turning point was Law No. 7263, in force since early 2021, which amended Article 40 of the Turkish Commercial Code. The signature declaration left the notarial monopoly; it can be given at the trade registry and lives electronically on the MERSİS infrastructure. More importantly, public bodies were enabled to verify signatures from registry records rather than physical papers. The secondary legislation that followed removed the requirement to prepare a separate signature circular for company signatories: who represents the company, and within what scope, is visible from the trade registry and its certificate (sicil tasdiknamesi).
So why is everyone still asking for it?
Because habits outlive statutes. Current practice looks roughly like this:
| Counterpart | Practice today | Your alternative |
|---|---|---|
| Banks | Many branches still ask for a circular | Insist with the registry certificate plus signature declaration; most banks accept with head office sign-off |
| Public bodies | Transitioning to registry-based verification | MERSİS number and the certificate usually suffice |
| Notaries and land registry | Varies by transaction type | A current registry certificate as proof of representation |
| Contract counterparties | Closing checklists still list it | Certificate plus authority registration in the closing set |
In short, the document is no longer mandatory but circulates as a transaction-security reflex. Where you cannot persuade the requesting side, notaries still issue circulars; on a plain cost-benefit view, having one issued is sometimes cheaper than arguing.
How to run it today
For a newly formed company the flow is: signatories’ declarations go to the registry at incorporation, the representation resolution is registered, and a registry certificate is obtained. Keeping the registration current as your signature structure changes does everything the circular used to do. In financing rounds and acquisitions, what goes into the data room is now the current certificate and authority registrations rather than a circular, and that is what due diligence checks. For how representation is built into each company type, see our joint stock company and articles of association pages.
Is the signature circular still mandatory?
There is no requirement to have a separate circular issued for company signatories; representation authority is verified from the registry. Mandatory and requested are different things: a bank or counterparty may still ask within freedom of contract. Try the certificate first; if that fails, a notary can still issue one.
Do circulars or declarations expire?
There is no statutory expiry; the document remains valid while its content stays accurate. In practice institutions ask for a certificate issued within the last three or six months, because it is the representation information, not the paper, that goes stale. Transacting on an old circular after a change of signatories is where the real problem lives.
Where to start
Three steps: confirm that the representation records in MERSİS and the registry reflect today; settle once, in writing, with your main bank that the certificate replaces the circular; and update the “signature circular” line in your closing and vendor checklists to “registry certificate plus signature declaration”. Keeping the registry current instead of chasing the paper is the 2026 summary of this topic.
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