Turkey Company Lookup: Every Legal Person, One Number

A Turkey company lookup runs through MERSİS, the Merkezi Sicil Kayıt Sistemi, run by the Ticaret Bakanlığı — the Ministry of Trade — at mersis.ticaret.gov.tr. The Ticaret Sicili Müdürlükleri are the trade registry directorates. Separately, TOBB — the Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Türkiye — publishes the Türkiye Ticaret Sicili Gazetesi under the Ministry's supervision, queryable at ticaretsicil.gov.tr. Two bodies, two things: the Ministry runs the register, TOBB publishes the gazette. This guide covers what MERSİS was built to be, the law that puts the register inside it, and what a trade-name check answers. If you need the Turkish population rather than one company at a time, the Turkey company directory covers the same registered businesses with industry, size and contact breakdowns attached, and the Turkey business database is the same file described as a dataset.

Turkey company lookup: the short version

• MERSİS has two core functions: running company and commercial enterprise transactions electronically, and uniting all legal persons and other economic units under a unique number.
• The second function's scope is the finding: merchants, self-employed professionals, professional bodies, associations, foundations, trade unions, chambers, federations and their umbrella organisations, and public institutions.
• By article 24 of Law 6102 and article 13 of the Trade Registry Regulation, trade registry transactions are carried out through MERSİS and the registry records are kept in that system.
• A trade-name query tells you whether a ticaret unvanı is in use and, if so, at which directorate and under which number.

One number for every legal person

MERSİS's first function is the one you would expect of a register system:

"Merkezi Sicil Kayıt Sistemi (MERSİS) iki temel fonksiyonu sağlamak amacıyla tasarlanmış merkezi bir bilgi sistemidir. Bu fonksiyonlardan ilki, şirket ile ticari işletmelerin kayıt, değişiklik ve terkin işlemlerinin elektronik ortamda yürütülmesi ve ticaret sicili kayıtları ile tescil ve ilan edilmesi gereken içeriklerin düzenli olarak depolanarak elektronik ortamda sunulmasıdır."

MERSİS is a central information system designed to provide two fundamental functions. The first is carrying out the registration, modification and cancellation transactions of companies and commercial enterprises electronically, and the regular storage and electronic presentation of trade registry records and of content that must be registered and announced.

The second function is the page:

"İkinci temel fonksiyonu ise tüm tüzel kişilikler ve diğer ekonomik birimlerin (tacir, serbest meslek erbabı, meslek örgütleri, dernek, vakıf, sendikalar, odalar, birlikler ve bunların üst kuruluşları, kamu kurum ve kuruluşları) tekil numara ile bir sistemde birleştirilerek kamu kurumlarının tüzel kişiliklerle ilgili ihtiyacı olan bilgilerin tek noktadan sağlanmasıdır."

The second fundamental function is uniting all legal persons and other economic units in one system under a unique number — merchants (tacir), self-employed professionals (serbest meslek erbabı), professional organisations (meslek örgütleri), associations (dernek), foundations (vakıf), trade unions (sendikalar), chambers (odalar), federations (birlikler) and their umbrella organisations, and public institutions and organisations (kamu kurum ve kuruluşları) — so that the information public bodies need about legal persons is provided from a single point.

The breadth is the finding, and summarising the list loses it. This is not a company register that happens to include some other bodies. It is an identifier scheme whose stated scope is every legal person and economic unit, with companies as one category among nine.

The consequence for anyone matching Turkish entity data follows directly: a MERSİS number may identify something that is not a company at all. A trade union, a chamber, a foundation, a public institution — each is in scope of the same numbering. A pipeline that assumes an identifier from this system denotes a commercial entity is assuming something the Ministry's own description does not say.

One thing this page does not claim: that the identifier is universal in practice, or that every entity type actually carries one. The Ministry describes the system's purpose. It does not report coverage, and neither does this page.

The register is inside the system

What makes MERSİS the register rather than a front end to it is a statutory sentence:

"6102 Sayılı Kanununun 24 üncü maddesi ve Ticaret Sicili Yönetmeliğinin 13 üncü maddesi uyarınca ticaret sicili işlemleri Merkezi Sicil Kayıt Sistemi (MERSİS) üzerinden gerçekleştirilmekte ve buna ilişkin sicil kayıtları bu Sistemde tutulmaktadır."

Pursuant to article 24 of Law No. 6102 and article 13 of the Trade Registry Regulation, trade registry transactions are carried out through MERSİS, and the registry records relating to them are kept in that System.

Both halves matter. The transactions run through it, and the records live in it. That is the difference between a portal that submits to a register and a system that is the register — and in Turkey the law names which one MERSİS is.

Four databases, and MERSİS is one

The Ministry places MERSİS in a wider architecture, which registers rarely do this explicitly. It describes MERSİS as one of the most important projects of Türkiye's e-transformation, and as one of four fundamental databases designed for the state's electronic services, alongside:

• MERNİS — Merkezi Nüfus İdaresi Sistemi
• UAVT — Ulusal Adres Veri Tabanı
• the land registry and cadastre information system

Four foundational databases, of which the company register is one. This page names them as the Ministry names them and does not describe what the other three contain, which was not sourced here.

What a Turkish company register entry contains

A self-contained summary. Turkey's central registry record system is MERSİS, the Merkezi Sicil Kayıt Sistemi, run by the Ticaret Bakanlığı at mersis.ticaret.gov.tr; the Ticaret Sicili Müdürlükleri are the trade registry directorates, and TOBB publishes the Türkiye Ticaret Sicili Gazetesi under the Ministry's supervision. MERSİS is a central information system designed to provide two fundamental functions. The first is carrying out the registration, modification and cancellation transactions of companies and commercial enterprises electronically, and the regular storage and electronic presentation of trade registry records and of content that must be registered and announced. The second is uniting all legal persons and other economic units — merchants, self-employed professionals, professional organisations, associations, foundations, trade unions, chambers, federations and their umbrella organisations, and public institutions and organisations — in one system under a unique number, so that the information public bodies need about legal persons is provided from a single point. Pursuant to article 24 of Law No. 6102 and article 13 of the Trade Registry Regulation, trade registry transactions are carried out through MERSİS and the registry records relating to them are kept in that System. MERSİS is described as one of the most important projects of Türkiye's e-transformation and as one of four fundamental databases designed for the state's electronic services, alongside MERNİS, UAVT and the land registry and cadastre information system. The Gazette site gives access to the announcement fee tariff, to examples of announcements that must be published although not subject to registration, and to information on paper and electronic subscriptions, and through it one can reach information on whether a trade name is in use and, if it is, at which registry directorate and under which number it is registered. TOBB's Gazette pages list a trade name query, a free gazette query, and the contact details of the Ticaret Sicil Müdürlükleri. This summary does not describe the fields of a MERSİS record, because none was established from the Ministry's own pages on the date shown.

A trade-name check, and what it answers

The Gazette side carries a query worth knowing precisely, because it answers a narrower question than it first appears to:

"Bir ticaret unvanının kullanılıp kullanılmadığı, kullanılıyorsa hangi sicil müdürlüğüne hangi numara ile kayıtlı olduğu bilgilerine erişilebilir."

Information can be accessed on whether a trade name is in use and, if it is, at which registry directorate and under which number it is registered.

That is a name-availability answer, not a company record. It tells you the name is taken, and where it is registered — which is exactly what someone choosing a trade name needs, and exactly not what someone researching a counterparty needs. Knowing which question it answers saves a wasted route.

TOBB's Gazette pages list a Ticaret Unvanı Sorgulama (trade name query), an Ücretsiz Gazete Sorgu (free gazette query), and the contact details of the Ticaret Sicil Müdürlükleri. The Gazette site also gives access to the announcement fee tariff, to examples of announcements that must be published although not subject to registration, and to information on paper and electronic subscriptions.

Where a Turkey lookup stops

The register and the gazette are two things run by two bodies — the Ministry of Trade runs MERSİS, TOBB publishes the Gazette under the Ministry's supervision. Across this series the registers are kept by courts, ministries, agencies and chambers; Turkey's arrangement splits the register and its publicity between a ministry and a chambers' union, which is a third shape beside the chamber-held register in the Italy company lookup guide and the State-and-chambers grouping in the Luxembourg company lookup guide. None of the three is ranked here — knowing which body to address is the only practical consequence.

This page describes no field of a MERSİS record, and it does not state the Gazette's publication timetable. Neither was sourced. TURKEY_REPORT.md flags the second first, because if the reported publication speed is accurate it would be the fastest legal-publicity cycle recorded in this programme — and that is precisely the kind of claim that must come from the Ministry or the Gazette rather than from commentary.

Where the question is a population rather than a company, a firmographic directory covers the same registered businesses with classification, size and contact data attached and queryable as a set; the Asia company directory breaks the regional file down by market.

Data quality pitfalls to avoid in Turkey

Assuming a MERSİS number denotes a company. The system's stated second function unites all legal persons and economic units under a unique number, including associations, foundations, unions, chambers and public institutions.

Inferring coverage from the system's purpose. The Ministry describes what MERSİS was designed to do; it does not report how completely each entity type is enrolled.

Using a trade-name query as a company lookup. It answers whether a name is in use and, if so, at which directorate and under which number — a name-availability answer.

Treating MERSİS as a submission portal. By article 24 of Law 6102 and article 13 of the Trade Registry Regulation, the transactions run through it and the records are kept in it.

Addressing the wrong body. The Ministry of Trade runs the register; TOBB publishes the Gazette under the Ministry's supervision.

Assuming a publication timetable. This page does not state one, because none was sourced.

A repeatable Turkey company lookup workflow

1. Search MERSİS for the entity, and record what kind of legal person it is rather than assuming a company.
2. Use the trade-name query only for name availability, and note the directorate and number it returns.
3. Go to the Gazette for announcements, including those published without being subject to registration.
4. Identify the relevant Ticaret Sicili Müdürlüğü from TOBB's published contact list when counter business is involved.
5. Treat any Turkish identifier in your data as potentially non-commercial until the entity type is confirmed.
6. Confirm the Gazette's publication timing independently, because this page does not establish it.

Frequently asked questions

What is MERSİS?

A central information system designed to provide two functions: carrying out companies' and commercial enterprises' registration, modification and cancellation transactions electronically, and uniting all legal persons and other economic units in one system under a unique number.

Which entities does the numbering cover?

The Ministry names merchants, self-employed professionals, professional organisations, associations, foundations, trade unions, chambers, federations and their umbrella organisations, and public institutions and organisations.

Does every Turkish entity have a MERSİS number?

This page does not say. The Ministry describes the system's purpose; it does not report coverage.

Is MERSİS the register or a portal to it?

The register. Pursuant to article 24 of Law No. 6102 and article 13 of the Trade Registry Regulation, trade registry transactions are carried out through MERSİS and the registry records are kept in that System.

Can I check whether a trade name is taken?

Yes. You can reach information on whether a trade name is in use and, if it is, at which registry directorate and under which number it is registered.

Who publishes the Turkish trade registry gazette?

TOBB, the Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Türkiye, under the Ministry of Trade's supervision.

What else does the Gazette site offer?

Access to the announcement fee tariff, examples of announcements that must be published although not subject to registration, and information on paper and electronic subscriptions.

Source Register

Every Turkish sentence quoted above is the publisher's own wording, read on the date shown, carrying its ç, ğ, ı, İ, ö, ş and ü as written — including the dotted capital İ in MERSİS — with an English gloss beside it rather than in place of it. No amount appears anywhere in this page's prose, including the announcement fee tariff, which the source says is accessible but does not state.

This page describes no field of a MERSİS record and does not state the Gazette's publication timetable. TURKEY_REPORT.md records both, flagging the timetable first: a reported same-day publication cycle would be the fastest in this programme and would pair directly with three European registers that treat publication as a distinct legal event, which is exactly why it needs an official source rather than commentary.

The readings that are InfobelPRO's rather than the Ministry's: that the breadth of the second function means a MERSİS number may identify something that is not a company at all, so a pipeline assuming commerciality is assuming what the description does not say; that "transactions through it, records kept in it" is what makes MERSİS the register rather than a front end; and that a trade-name query answers name availability rather than counterparty research, so knowing which question it answers saves a wasted route. Those are ours, and none of them claims anything about how completely the numbering is applied in practice.