Granting a power of attorney is a decision made once. Ending it is a decision that sometimes has to be made quickly, from another country, about someone who currently has authority to act in your name. Turkish law allows revocation at any time and without reasons — but it takes effect when it is properly recorded and communicated, not when you decide. This article explains how to do it and what happens in the interval.
The right to revoke
The relationship between principal and attorney is one of agency, governed by the Code of Obligations. Either side may end it at any time: the principal by revoking the authority, the attorney by resigning.
The right is unilateral and requires no justification. The instrument is an azilname — a notarial declaration of revocation.
Two qualifications. Ending the authority at an untimely moment may give rise to liability for loss caused, which matters more in commercial agency than in the ordinary case of a client changing lawyers. And revoking the authority does not resolve the underlying relationship: outstanding fees, and any dispute about work done, are separate questions.
How to revoke
- From Türkiye: at a notary, who prepares the azilname and enters it in the notarial system.
- From abroad: at a Turkish consulate, which acts as a notary — the cleanest route, requiring no apostille or translation.
- Before a foreign notary: executed locally, apostilled, then translated in Türkiye and the translation notarised. Slower, and used where consular appointments are unavailable.
Identify the original power of attorney precisely: its date, the notary or consulate that issued it, its number, and the attorney's full name and identity number. A revocation that does not clearly identify what it revokes creates argument rather than certainty.
When it takes effect — the point that matters
Revocation is effective when it has been properly recorded and communicated. Until then, acts carried out by the attorney within the scope of the authority, in good faith, may still bind you as against third parties who relied on the document.
The practical consequences follow directly:
- Act immediately once the decision is made. Every day of delay is a day in which the authority still operates.
- Notify the attorney directly as well as registering the revocation.
- Notify the institutions that hold or may act on the document — the bank above all, and the land registry, trade registry, tax office or court where relevant. Do not assume the notarial entry reaches them.
- Retrieve the original where possible, though its return is not what ends the authority.
The bank is the priority in almost every case, because that is where money can move fastest.
When revocation is urgent
Certain situations call for the same day rather than the same week:
- a breakdown of trust with the attorney;
- discovery that the attorney has acted outside the authority;
- a family or business dispute in which the attorney has taken a side;
- a broad power of attorney granted in a transaction that has now completed;
- the attorney's own circumstances — bankruptcy, loss of professional licence, serious illness.
Where funds or property are exposed, revocation should be accompanied by immediate notification to the bank and, in serious cases, by advice on protective measures such as an injunction preventing dealings with a property.
What revocation does not undo
Acts already carried out within the authority remain valid. A property sold, a company registered, a payment made — these stand, and challenging them requires establishing that the attorney exceeded their authority or breached their duties.
Where an attorney has acted beyond the authority granted, the acts are in principle not binding on the principal, but third parties who relied on the document in good faith are protected in defined circumstances. This is why prevention — a narrowly drafted document with a defined scope and, where appropriate, an expiry date — is worth more than any remedy.
The attorney's obligations after revocation
An attorney whose authority ends must account: return documents belonging to the principal, hand over funds held, and provide an account of what was done. A lawyer is additionally subject to professional obligations of the bar and to disciplinary supervision.
Where a lawyer is dismissed during litigation, the case does not stop. Notification to the court is required, and the client must either appear or appoint a replacement. Failing to do either can have procedural consequences — a hearing missed, a deadline unmet — so the replacement should be instructed at the same time as the revocation, not afterwards.
Resignation by the attorney
The relationship can also be ended from the other side. A lawyer who withdraws must do so in a manner that does not prejudice the client, and where proceedings are pending the client's interests must be protected during the transition. Clients receiving notice of withdrawal should instruct a replacement promptly rather than assume the case is holding.
Designing the document to make revocation less necessary
Most urgent revocations arise from documents that were drafted too broadly. Four drafting decisions substantially reduce the need:
- Enumerate rather than generalise. Authorise the transaction, not everything.
- Set an expiry date for single transactions.
- Exclude borrowing, security and disposal unless genuinely required.
- Consider monetary limits on banking authority where the transaction size is known.
A document that expires when the purchase completes cannot be misused afterwards, and no revocation is needed.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a reason to revoke? No.
Can I revoke from abroad? Yes, at a Turkish consulate, or before a foreign notary with apostille.
When does it take effect? On proper registration and communication — not on your decision.
Do I have to tell the attorney? Yes, and the institutions holding the document.
Are earlier acts undone? No. Acts within the authority stand.
What if the attorney exceeded the authority? Those acts are in principle not binding on you, but third parties acting in good faith may be protected. Take advice promptly.
Can I revoke during a court case? Yes, and you must appear or appoint a replacement without delay.
Act on the day you decide
Revocation is straightforward and time-sensitive. The gap between deciding and registering is the only period in which anything can go wrong, and it is entirely within your control.
Dural Hukuk prepares revocations for clients abroad, notifies the institutions concerned, advises on protective measures where funds or property are exposed, and takes over files where a previous representative's authority has ended. Call +90 535 260 74 54 or use the contact form on this site.
This article is general information on Turkish law as at August 2026 and is not legal advice. Where you suspect misuse of an authority, obtain advice immediately.