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

Unfortunately, due to the absence of a Translators Law in Türkiye, translators operate under the Notary Law as if they were personnel working within notary offices. They are required to prepare a sworn statement/affidavit in order to work.

These translators are recognized as "Sworn Translators" only at the specific notary where the affidavit was issued. A sworn statement obtained from one notary is not valid across all notary offices. Therefore, translators may need to obtain separate affidavits from multiple notaries to be recognized in different locations.

To become a sworn translator in Türkiye, an individual must be either a citizen of the Republic of Türkiye or, if a foreign national, must possess a valid work permit in Türkiye. They are also required to have graduated from a Translation and Interpreting program or a university department in a foreign language, or to provide recognized language certificates—such as KPSS language scores or TOEFL—to prove their language proficiency. With these documents, the applicant must apply to the notary office where they wish to have their translations certified. If the notary is convinced of the applicant’s language proficiency, they may issue (a sworn translator’s affidavit) although they are under (no legal obligation) to do so.

To provide sworn translation services, a translator can only work by signing with the same signature as on the affidavit issued by that specific notary for the translations they have done there.

In Türkiye, (a sworn affidavit) obtained from a notary is not valid or sufficient for all public institutions. For example, to work as a translator at the Land Registry or in courts, you must apply to the Ministry of Justice’s translator program at courthouses, meet the necessary criteria, and, once approved as a suitable candidate, participate in the swearing-in ceremony to receive your certificate. This certificate allows you to work as a translator in the Land Registry and courts starting from the year of your application.

For members of our association who have obtained the authority to operate a Sworn Translation Office, comply with the association’s bylaws, and have signed and submitted the Sworn Oath Declaration before a notary, a Translator Authorization Certificate is issued based on their translation business information.

However, only those translators who complete this process can receive the Sworn Translation Office authorization.

Any other sworn affidavits or oaths issued by institutions or organizations, or simply graduating from a translation and interpreting department at a university, are not sufficient for this authorization.

Individuals or organizations who are not members of the association, do not hold an authorization certificate, but present themselves as sworn translation offices are engaging in illegal unfair competition, violating consumer rights laws, and providing misleading information.

To become a Sworn Translation Office, please obtain the necessary information from the Turkish Translators Association (TUÇED) or the International Federation of Translators and Translation Organizations (TUÇEF).

We advise thorough research to avoid being deprived of your rights by individuals or organizations falsely claiming to be authorized sworn translation offices.

Dr. Ahmet VAROL