What is "Sworn Translation Office"? How to Install?

What is Sworn Translation?

Unfortunately, due to the fact that Turkey does not have a Translation Law, translators must work in Notary Public Offices under the Notary Law, by taking Oath Minutes / Translator Certificate of Oath in the same manner as staff members.

These translators can only act as “Sworn Translators” in the notary where they received the oath minutes. An oath minutes obtained from a single notary is not valid for all notaries. A minutes of oath can be issued by more than one notary.

In order to work as a Sworn Translator, an individual must meet certain requirements: these include being a citizen of the Republic of Turkey or, if they are not, holding a valid work permit in Turkey; graduating from a Translation-Interpreting program or a university's foreign language department; or applying to the Notary Office to have their translations certified along with documentation proving their language proficiency, such as Language Certificates, KPSS, or TOEFL.

If the notary judges that you know the language with the documents, he will issue you with an oath minutes (Translator Certificate of Oath) if he wishes (this is not obligatory).

The provision of a sworn translation service is only possible if the translation carried out by this notary is signed and approved with the same signature in the oath minutes.

In Turkey, the oath minutes (Translator Certificate of Oath) obtained by a notary is not valid or sufficient in all public institutions. For example, to work as a translator in the Land Registry, in the Courts you must apply as an Interpreter opened by the Ministry of Justice in the Courthouses, you must meet the necessary criteria and subsequently participate in the oath ceremony as a suitable translator candidate and receive your certificate. Thus, you can work as a translator at the Land Registry and in the Courts during the year of filing the application.

Sworn Translation Office

Thanks to the work of the International Federation of Translators and Translation Institutions TUÇEF and the Association of Turkish Translators TUÇED; in accordance with the 7th paragraph of article 2 of the legislation, the members under the authority of the Sworn Translation Office; who comply with the rules and regulations, sign and send the Sworn Declaration in the presence of a notary in the name of their company are assigned the authority of a Sworn Translation Office based on the information about the translation company.

However, all translators who carry out this process; they can obtain authorization from a Sworn translation office. Apart from this, it is not enough for this process to have a minutes of oath or translator certificate of oathissued by an institution or organization, nor to be a graduate of the translation and interpretation department of a university. Persons or organizations that do not have this power, do not have a certificate of authorization and present themselves as a sworn translation agency, illegally provoke unfair competition and disclose misleading information in violation of the law on rights consumers.

You can obtain the necessary information to become a Sworn translation agency from the International Federation of Translators and Translation Institutions TUÇEF or the Association of Turkish Translators TUÇED.

Individuals and organizations who do not have this “Sworn Translation Bureau” authority are advised to conduct through research to avoid being deprived of their rights.

Dr. Ahmet VAROL

www.tuced.org.tr

www.tucef.org.tr

Our Call to Esteemed Colleagues!

We strongly condemn the actions of the federation that, due to differences of opinion, separated from our federation TUÇEF (the International Federation of Translators and Translation Organizations), which was established in 2013 under the leadership of TUÇED (Turkish Translators Association), and subsequently formed new associations, adding the letter "R" to the TUÇEF name to create "TURÇEF."Instead of engaging in constructive professional activities, this group has chosen to make divisive and defamatory statements against fellow colleagues in online platforms.We sincerely hope that our colleagues will stand together in unity and solidarity, and continue to uphold and protect the integrity of our profession.

Thank you to our esteemed member, TUÇED – the Turkish Translators Association, for working towards professional unity and solidarity since 1992. We wish them continued success in their endeavors.

Here are some examples:

1. As a result of consultations with the Ministry of Labor, the requirement for notarization of translations in the Ministry and all its departments has been removed.
2. Following discussions with the Australian Embassy, notarization has been waived for translations carried out by translators who are members of our association.
3. Even before the establishment of federations, our association contributed by offering recommendations on setting standards for the translation profession and continued to actively participate in professional workshops thereafter.
4. Since 1992, it has successfully carried out numerous professional initiatives, including drafting a legislative proposal, working to protect the rights of translators and those dedicated to the translation profession, and helping resolve conflicts within the profession.

It has accomplished—and continues to accomplish—many important tasks with dedication and success.

In the 69-page Prime Ministry Research Report titled "The Translation Profession in Türkiye – Part 2," more than half of the report—from page 34 onward—is dedicated to the legislative draft prepared by Mr. Ahmet Varol, the President of TUÇED (Turkish Translators Association).

All our colleagues can access and read the full report directly through the following link:
http://www.igb.gov.tr/HaberGoster.aspx?ID=1140

We call upon all our colleagues to stand united in solidarity and to protect and uphold the integrity of our profession. We urge everyone to refrain from unnecessary internal conflicts, defamation, and efforts that undermine one another. Let us move forward together with a shared sense of purpose and professionalism.

Dr. Ahmet VAROL
President of TUÇEF

Dear Colleagues,

In order for our profession to gain the respect it truly deserves and to secure our professional rights, we must stand together in greater unity and solidarity.

As we currently do not have a professional chamber, we believe that bringing together the existing professional associations under one roof will strengthen our efforts. We want to collaborate, take joint action, and raise a stronger collective voice.

Let us unite under the same roof and elevate our profession to the level it rightfully deserves!

Our Call to Esteemed Colleagues!

We strongly condemn the actions of the federation that, due to differences of opinion, separated from our federation TUÇEF (the International Federation of Translators and Translation Organizations), which was established in 2013 under the leadership of TUÇED (Turkish Translators Association), and subsequently formed new associations, adding the letter "R" to the TUÇEF name to create "TURÇEF."Instead of engaging in constructive professional activities, this group has chosen to make divisive and defamatory statements against fellow colleagues in online platforms.We sincerely hope that our colleagues will stand together in unity and solidarity, and continue to uphold and protect the integrity of our profession.

Thank you to our esteemed member, TUÇED – the Turkish Translators Association, for working towards professional unity and solidarity since 1992. We wish them continued success in their endeavors.

Here are some examples:

1. As a result of consultations with the Ministry of Labor, the requirement for notarization of translations in the Ministry and all its departments has been removed.
2. Following discussions with the Australian Embassy, notarization has been waived for translations carried out by translators who are members of our association.
3. Even before the establishment of federations, our association contributed by offering recommendations on setting standards for the translation profession and continued to actively participate in professional workshops thereafter.
4. Since 1992, it has successfully carried out numerous professional initiatives, including drafting a legislative proposal, working to protect the rights of translators and those dedicated to the translation profession, and helping resolve conflicts within the profession.

It has accomplished—and continues to accomplish—many important tasks with dedication and success.

In the 69-page Prime Ministry Research Report titled "The Translation Profession in Türkiye – Part 2," more than half of the report—from page 34 onward—is dedicated to the legislative draft prepared by Mr. Ahmet Varol, the President of TUÇED (Turkish Translators Association).

All our colleagues can access and read the full report directly through the following link: http://www.igb.gov.tr/HaberGoster.aspx?ID=1140

We call upon all our colleagues to stand united in solidarity and to protect and uphold the integrity of our profession. We urge everyone to refrain from unnecessary internal conflicts, defamation, and efforts that undermine one another. Let us move forward together with a shared sense of purpose and professionalism.

Dr. Ahmet VAROL

President of TUÇEF