Establecer una empresa en Turquía

Por Nese Yahya, Director General de Expatia

El marco legal

Starting a business in a new country is challenging, as it is everywhere. As a foreigner, if you intend to set up a business in Turkey, you first have to look at and get familiarized with the Foreign Direct Investment Law (No: 4875), which was introduced in Turkey in 2003. The most important principles introduced by this law are those of non-discrimination and equal treatment, as they set the legal framework of the liberal investment environment in Turkey.

Según la Ley de Inversión Extranjera Directa, los requisitos y obligaciones previos para constituir una empresa con capital extranjero serán iguales a los de las empresas locales. En consecuencia, se eliminan los diversos permisos obligatorios que existían en el pasado para fundar una empresa con capital extranjero. Las empresas fundadas con capital extranjero según lo dispuesto en las normas del Código de Comercio turco se consideran empresas turcas. Por lo tanto, todos los deberes y responsabilidades son idénticos independientemente de la naturaleza de la creación de capital de la empresa.

Additionally, within the new FDI law, there are no rules requiring Turkish participation in the capital or management of a company with foreign capital. A company may be established with 100% foreign capital, and almost all sectors are open to foreign capital. The company’s establishment procedures have also been simplified to a great extent. Now, with the efficient procedures, a company’s registration and establishment of a company in Turkey can be completed in as little as one day. Companies must submit a standard form at one location and will not need to submit applications to many authorities for approvals. Also, the law provides that it is no longer mandatory to establish either a limited liability company or joint stock company. These are all important points to be taken into consideration by foreign investors who plan to do business in Turkey.

En la práctica

If you are opening a company in Turkey, you basically have a couple of options. For instance you can open a liaison office. To undertake this route however, it is important to keep in mind that there should not be any commercial activities on behalf of this company; basically, it is not possible to issue invoices from a liaison office. Another alternative is to open a branch of a foreign company. To pursue this alternative, you need to get permission form the Ministry of Industry and Trade in Ankara, and it is possible to undertake commercial activities. Otherwise, you can set up a limited company or set-up a joint stock company. For the former, you need a minimum capital of 5.000 YTL and minimum two shareholders, all of whom can be foreigners, if necessary. For the latter, a minimum capital of YTL 50.000 is required and the number of founding shareholders should be at least five. For both options, the shareholder liability is limited to the capital paid by each shareholder. It is also feasible to transfer shares from an already established company, and thus become a shareholder.

En cuanto al empleo de personal extranjero en cualquier entidad en Turquía, es posible hacerlo. Sin embargo, los extranjeros que planean vivir y trabajar en Turquía deben obtener un permiso de trabajo del Ministerio de Trabajo y Seguridad Social y al mismo tiempo recibir un permiso de residencia del Ministerio del Interior/Cuartel General de la Policía Local. Sin embargo, el proceso de obtención de un permiso de trabajo es bastante complicado y difícil de adquirir.

Invertir en Turquía

“Invest in Turkey”, is a governmental agency, that aims to assist foreign investors in their business ventures in Turkey and provide data and information on the business climate in our country. If you are planning considerable investment in Turkey, it is advised to get in touch with the agency established under the Undersecretariat of Treasury and be active in this environment for several years.

According to the data provided by the agency, around 15.000 companies with foreign capital are in operation in Turkey, as of end of 2006. The majority of them are in wholesale and retail trade, as well as manufacturing. Half of these companies are set up by nationals or entities of the EU Member countries, while Germany, the UK, and the Netherlands are the leading countries in the group of foreign investors.

Below are some useful links worth exploring if you are really into setting up a business in Turkey.

Sindicatos y Organizaciones

• Asociación de inversores extranjeros www.yased.org.tr
• Junta de Relaciones Económicas Exteriores www.deik.org.tr
• Asociación de Industriales y Empresarios de Turquía www.tusiad.org

Cuerpos gubernamentales

• Invertir en Turquía www.investinturkey.gov.tr
• Oficina de Relaciones con Inversores www.hazine.gov.tr/iro.htm
• Subsecretaría del Primer Ministerio de Comercio Exterior www.dtm.gov.tr
• República de Turquía Primer Ministro Subsecretaría de Aduanas www.gumruk.gov.tr

Empresa colaboradora:
Consultoría Expatia. Istanbul, Turquía. www.expatia.net
Contacto: Nese Yahya. [email protected]