Inheritance Law Law
This section addresses certificates of inheritance, wills, reduction (tenkis) and testator-collusion actions, and the partition of estates under the Turkish Civil Code.
Statutory Heirs and Statutory Shares
The orders (zümre) system and the spouse's share under TMK arts.495-501
Who are the statutory heirs and how are shares calculated? The order (zümre) system, the surviving spouse's share and the State as heir.
Turkish inheritance law determines statutory heirs through a system of orders (zümre) or generations. There are three orders, and so long as there are heirs in an earlier order, the next order does not inherit. The surviving spouse is an heir outside the orders, and his or her share varies depending on the order with which the spouse inherits.
The Orders (Zümre) System
The first order is the testator's descendants (TMK art.495): children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren. The second order is the testator's parents and their descendants (TMK art.496): siblings, nieces and nephews. The third order is the testator's grandparents and their descendants (TMK art.497): uncles and aunts and their children.
Within an order, the principle of representation (halefiyet) applies: the share of an heir who predeceased the testator passes to that heir's descendants. For example, the share of a child who predeceased the testator passes in equal proportions to that child's children (the testator's grandchildren).
Share of the Surviving Spouse
Under TMK art.499, the surviving spouse's share is determined by reference to the order with which he or she inherits. Where the spouse inherits with the first order (descendants), the spouse's share is one-quarter of the estate; with the second order (parents and their descendants), one-half; with the third order's grandparents and their descendants, three-quarters.
Where there are no grandparents or descendants of grandparents in the third order, the entire estate passes to the surviving spouse (TMK art.499/4). The surviving spouse also has the right to claim participation in acquired property on the liquidation of the matrimonial property regime; that claim is in addition to the inheritance share.
Adopted Children, Children Born Outside Marriage, and the State as Heir
An adopted child inherits from the adoptive parent and his or her descendants as a blood relative (TMK art.500). A child born outside marriage inherits to the extent that parentage is established; parentage on the mother's side arises by birth, and on the father's side by marriage, acknowledgment or court order.
Where there is no statutory heir, the estate passes to the State (TMK art.501). The State's status as heir is residual; it arises only where there is no heir in any of the three orders and no surviving spouse.
Practical Considerations
In inheritance disputes, the first step is to clarify the status of the heirs, the scope of the estate and any dispositions on death. Civil-registry records, certificates of inheritance, land-registry records, bank correspondence, the records of the opening of a will and any transfers made by the deceased during their lifetime should be reviewed together.
The time limits and types of action for matters such as reduction, testator collusion, renunciation of inheritance, annulment of a will and inheritance waiver differ from one another. Correctly identifying the date of knowledge, the opening of the estate, the opening of the will and the date of any renunciation declaration prevents the loss of rights.
Because intra-family transactions are often conducted without written documents, bank receipts, the values reflected in the deed, the testator's economic needs, witness accounts and patterns of actual use are particularly important. The earlier the evidence is prepared, the more soundly the legal framework of the dispute can be established.
Relevant Statutory Provisions
- TMK m.495First order — descendants
Original (Turkish, official):
Madde 495- Mirasbırakanın birinci derece mirasçıları, onun altsoyudur. Çocuklar eşit olarak mirasçıdırlar. Mirasbırakandan önce ölmüş olan çocukların yerini, her derecede halefiyet yoluyla kendi altsoyları alır.
English summary (non-binding):
Article 495- The first-degree heirs of the testator are the testator's descendants. Children inherit in equal shares. Children who predeceased the testator are replaced by their own descendants at every degree by way of representation.
Source: mevzuat.gov.tr · last reviewed: 2026-05-12
- TMK m.496Second order — parents' branch
Original (Turkish, official):
Madde 496- Altsoyu bulunmayan mirasbırakanın mirasçıları, ana ve babasıdır. Bunlar eşit olarak mirasçıdırlar. Mirasbırakandan önce ölmüş olan ana ve babanın yerlerini, her derecede halefiyet yoluyla kendi altsoyları alır. Bir tarafta hiç mirasçı bulunmadığı takdirde, bütün miras diğer taraftaki mirasçılara kalır.
English summary (non-binding):
Article 496- Where the testator has no descendants, the heirs are the testator's parents, in equal shares. A parent who predeceased the testator is replaced by his or her descendants at every degree by way of representation. Where there is no heir on one side, the entire inheritance passes to the heirs on the other side.
Source: mevzuat.gov.tr · last reviewed: 2026-05-12
- TMK m.497Third order — grandparents' branch
Original (Turkish, official):
Madde 497- Altsoyu, ana ve babası ve onların altsoyu bulunmayan mirasbırakanın mirasçıları, büyük ana ve büyük babalarıdır. Bunlar, eşit olarak mirasçıdırlar. Mirasbırakandan önce ölmüş olan büyük ana ve büyük babaların yerlerini, her derecede halefiyet yoluyla kendi altsoyları alır. Ana veya baba tarafından olan büyük ana ve büyük babalardan biri altsoyu bulunmaksızın mirasbırakandan önce ölmüşse, ona düşen pay aynı taraftaki mirasçılara kalır. Ana veya baba tarafından olan büyük ana ve büyük babaların ikisi de altsoyları bulunmaksızın mirasbırakandan önce ölmüşlerse, bütün miras diğer taraftaki mirasçılara kalır. Sağ kalan eş varsa, büyük ana ve büyük babalardan birinin mirasbırakandan önce ölmüş olması hâlinde, payı kendi çocuğuna; çocuğu yoksa o taraftaki büyük ana ve büyük babaya; bir taraftaki büyük ana ve büyük babanın her ikisinin de ölmüş olmaları hâlinde onların payları diğer tarafa geçer.
English summary (non-binding):
Article 497- Where the testator has no descendants, parents or descendants of parents, the heirs are the testator's grandparents, in equal shares. A grandparent who predeceased the testator is replaced by his or her descendants at every degree by way of representation. Where a maternal or paternal grandparent predeceased the testator without leaving descendants, his or her share passes to the heirs on the same side. Where both grandparents on the maternal or paternal side predeceased the testator without leaving descendants, the entire inheritance passes to the heirs on the other side. Where a surviving spouse exists and one grandparent predeceased the testator, his or her share passes to his or her child; where there is no child, to the grandparent on the same side; and where both grandparents on one side have died, their shares pass to the other side.
Source: mevzuat.gov.tr · last reviewed: 2026-05-12
- TMK m.499Share of the surviving spouse
Original (Turkish, official):
Madde 499- Sağ kalan eş, birlikte bulunduğu zümreye göre mirasbırakana aşağıdaki oranlarda mirasçı olur: 1. Mirasbırakanın altsoyu ile birlikte mirasçı olursa, mirasın dörtte biri, 2. Mirasbırakanın ana ve baba zümresi ile birlikte mirasçı olursa, mirasın yarısı, 3. Mirasbırakanın büyük ana ve büyük babaları ve onların çocukları ile birlikte mirasçı olursa, mirasın dörtte üçü, bunlar da yoksa mirasın tamamı eşe kalır.
English summary (non-binding):
Article 499- The surviving spouse inherits from the testator at the following rates, depending on the order with which the spouse inherits: 1. With the testator's descendants, one-quarter of the estate; 2. With the testator's parents' branch, one-half of the estate; 3. With the testator's grandparents and their children, three-quarters of the estate; and where they too are absent, the entire estate passes to the spouse.
Source: mevzuat.gov.tr · last reviewed: 2026-05-12
- TMK m.500Inheritance rights of the adopted child
Original (Turkish, official):
Madde 500- Evlâtlık ve altsoyu, evlât edinene kan hısımı gibi mirasçı olurlar. Evlâtlığın kendi ailesindeki mirasçılığı da devam eder. Evlât edinen ve hısımları, evlâtlığa mirasçı olmazlar.
English summary (non-binding):
Article 500- The adopted child and his or her descendants inherit from the adoptive parent as if blood relatives. The adopted child's status as heir in his or her own family also continues. The adoptive parent and his or her relatives do not inherit from the adopted child.
Source: mevzuat.gov.tr · last reviewed: 2026-05-12
- TMK m.501The State as heir
Original (Turkish, official):
Madde 501- Mirasçı bırakmaksızın ölen kimsenin mirası Devlete geçer.
English summary (non-binding):
Article 501- The estate of a person who dies without leaving any heir passes to the State.
Source: mevzuat.gov.tr · last reviewed: 2026-05-12
The statutory provisions are reproduced for information purposes only. The current and official text on mevzuat.gov.tr is authoritative.
Conclusion
Accurate calculation of the shares is the foundation of estate partition and reduction actions. Where there have been multiple marriages, adoptions, or disputes over parentage, civil registry records and court decisions must be examined separately.
This article is for information purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. If you would like professional assistance on a specific matter, you may request a consultation.
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