Zilin Hu has recently joined our team in Istanbul. She is acting as a Citizenship by Investment Advisor mainly advising our Chinese clients.

Zilin has a fantastic background tuning from the Asian to the Western culture, dynamically explored from the Actuarial Science (Msc.) to the Financial & Commercial LLM both in the British universities, intensively collaborated from the financial service industry to the legal world, and simultaneously served two directorship in the EU and South Africa for the Chinese investors. In her vision, the world is globe.

She believes that each clientele deserves a dedicated manner to reach their ultimate expectation from the leading expertise for Citizenship Program in Turkey, to be taken care of their major concerns from a professional legal aspect, as well as to enjoy the journey turning from a foreign country to a lovely home.

Zilin Hu is the new blood for our Global and Turkish Citizenship by Investment practice, and her contribution to Ketenci & Ketenci has been excellent so far for our Chinese clientele.

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Academic Qualification

Financial & Commercial LLM, 2019, University of Central Lancaster, UK  

Actuarial Science (Msc.), 2011, University of Kent, UK

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Dilara has recently joined our team in Istanbul as a Senior Associate. Her practice mainly concentrates on corporate and commercial law with a focus on M&A and daily corporate governance issues.

She has an excellent background and advised international clients on their acquisitions and joint ventures with Turkish entities as well as their corporate affairs and setting up and restructuring their companies.

Dilara currently advises our international clients on a wide range of issues including corporate, commercial, labor law, immigration law, real estate law and transportation law.

She is specialized in providing clients with global, practical and tailor-made solutions to their day-to-day or strategic legal requirements in relation to national and international commercial contracts.

She was graduated with distinction from Marmara University Law Faculty back in 2015. She has completed her LL.M at Marmara University in Private Law and İstanbul University in Corporate and Commercial Law. She is fluent in Turkish and English.

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Bar Admission

Istanbul Bar Association (2015) 

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Academic Qualification

Marmara University, Turkey

Westbourne Academy, 2015-2016, UK

Marmara University LL.M

İstanbul University LL.M

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Mert Ildır is an Associate Lawyer of Ketenci&Ketenci ILP.

Graduated with merits from Marmara University Law Faculty, Mert advises our clients internationally on Turkish Immigration law, as well as Company and Corporate law, commercial matters and real estate law.

Mert works extensively on Turkish Citizenship by Investment program and Obtaining Residence Permits by Investment in Turkey. He is also highly experienced in Turkish Labor Law and Corporate Law matters as well as regularly represents our clients before Turkish Courts. His practice includes advising clients on mainly Turkish Citizenship and Company Formation Procedures as well. Mert speaks English and also fluent in German.

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Bar Admission

Istanbul Bar Association (2018)

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Academic Qualification

University of Cologne, Erasmus+ Program, 2015-16, 2 Semesters, Germany  

Marmara Law Faculty, LLB, 2018, Turkey

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Darya Dincel works in our Istanbul office as an Associate. Darya was graduated from Yaşar University Faculty of law with a full scholarship and joined our team recently in 2019.

She advise clients on Immigration law and Commercial matters. Her practice focus on obtaining Turkish Citizenship by Investment as well as company formations and opening bank accounts in Turkey and abroad as well as obtaining residence and work permits in Turkey.

Previously she has attended several summer internship programmes and gained experience in the fields of labor law, intellectual property law, enforcement law.

Darya holds dual nationality, Turkish and Russian. Therefore, she has an excellent command of Russian language as well.

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Bar Admission

Istanbul Bar Association (2019)

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Academic Qualification

Izmir Yaşar University Law Faculty (2018), Turkey

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Selenay Özkavaklı was graduated from Yeditepe University Law Faculty with high honours. She had admitted to the university with merits and an excellent degree as a top student in nationwide exam in Turkey.

Prior to her legal internship period, she participated a variety of programs and symposiums on International Migration Law, Medical Law, Sports Law, IT Law and Personal Data Protection Law as well as actively joined club activities in the university.

After graduated from Law Faculty, Selenay has joined Ketenci&Ketenci team as a legal intern. She mainly focuses on Corporate, Immigration, Commercial law and related matters and International Commercial Arbitration.

She has excellent command of English and is at the beginner level of German.

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Bar Admission

Istanbul Bar Association, 2020

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Academic Qualification

Yeditepe University Faculty of Law (2020)

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Eda is a Partner of Ketenci&Ketenci, mostly focusing on residency and citizenship matters. Global citizenship is a new concept acknowledged by the World, defining an interdependent way of living within multiple communities—cities, regions, states, nations etc. and Eda takes pride in promoting the development of this notion in Turkey as well.

She advises clients on many citizenship and investment programs applied by various countries and states all around the World. She is passionate about assisting clients that are looking for relocation or 2nd citizenship opportunities by way of residency, investment or property purchase.

She is also an experienced lawyer on Competition and Anti-Trust matters, as having worked for a major Competition Law firm for more than 4 years. She represents clients in merger control, exemptions and negative clearance filings and cartel investigations, and also provides general competition law advice to the clients.

Her practice includes Corporate Law, Property Law, Tax Law and Personal Data Protection.

She is a registered Mediator authorized by the Turkish Ministry of Justice. She has memberships of European Lawyers, Women Lawyers Association as well as Kagider.

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Bar Admission

Istanbul Bar Association (2015)

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Academic Qualification

Ankara University, Master's degree – 2013

Selçuk University, LLM – 2008

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Industries

Global Citizenship
Real Estate
Private Equity

Herdem Gültekin Çaylak is a Managing Director and Citizenship Advisor at Ketenci&Ketenci. Based in Istanbul, her responsibilities include working extensively with Clients on Turkish Citizenship by Investment and ensuring diligent processing of client applications in line with the Turkish law and migration regulations. She also foresees firms operations in Turkey. Herdem has an extensive knowledge of Turkish and global residency and citizenship acquisition procedures. She is fluent in Turkish, English and French and holds a Bachelor Degree from Marmara University.

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Academic Qualification

Department of French Language Teaching, Marmara University (2011).

Güvenç Ketenci is a leading, international and influential lawyer in Turkey. Graduated from Harvard Business School and Marmara University Law Faculty, he advises and represents clients in relation to their legal needs and requirements in Turkey. Mr. Ketenci has a wide corporate migration expertise and advises on Turkish Citizenship and Global Citizenship and Residency by Investment. He acts for a wide range of clients including HNWI Clients, investment funds, and financial institutions. Some of his clients also included Fortune 500 Corporations operating in Turkey.

Mr. Ketenci is a member of the Investment Migration Council (IMC), which is the worldwide, leading association for investor immigration and citizenship-by-investment, bringing together the leading stakeholders in the field.

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Memberships

Investment Migration Council (IMC)

DEIK, UK-Turkey & Turkey-Luxembourg Council Board Member)

European Lawyers Events (ELE), President

International Bar Association (IBANET)

American Bar Association (ABA), Foreign Associate Lawyer

British- Turkish Lawyers Association, Member

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Bar Admission

Istanbul Bar Association (2004)

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Academic Qualification

Harvard Business School, PE&VC Program, 2016

LLB, Marmara Law Faculty, 2003

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Latest Published Work

Incorporation of Investment Companies or Funds in Turkey - Co-Author (2013):
https://www.ketencilaw.com/new-turkish-commercial-code.html

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A review of the New Turkish Commercial Code (2013):
http://www.mondaq.com/turkey/x/441626/Contract+Law/Distribution+Agreements+in+Turkish+Law

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Mergers and Acquisitions in Turkey (2012):
https://www.ketencilaw.com/mergers-and-acquisitions-in-turkey.html
http://www.mondaq.com/turkey/x/421348/M+A+Private+equity/Mergers+And+Acquisitions+In+Turkey

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Oil & Gas Regulations in Turkey - Co-Author (2013):
https://www.ketencilaw.com/oil-gas-regulation-in-turkey.html
http://www.mondaq.com/turkey/x/411066/Oil+Gas+Electricity/Oil+Gas+Regulations+in+Turkey

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Industries

Citizenship
Consumer Products & Retail
Hospitality & Leisure
Energy
Oil & Gas
Pharmaceuticals & Healthcare
Real Estate & Construction
Private Equity
Project Finance

Gönül Ketenci is a Senior Advisor in our Istanbul office. She has previously acted as a Notary Public for several years in various cities and provinces, last of which was Kadikoy. She has also served at the Board of Turkish Notary Association.

During her Notary profession, Ms. Ketenci has mainly practiced commercial, industrial and civil law matters and carried out many transactions such as drafting wills, estate documents, property sales and acquisitions. With her broad experience in these fields, Ms. Ketenci is frequently consulted by both clients and colleague notaries and lawyers. Her expertise is often sought for negotiating and drafting contracts and official documents. She is able to provide advice to our clients on Civil Law, Commercial Law, Real Estate and Litigation matters.

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Academic Qualification

LLB, Ankara University Law Faculty (Turkey), 1972

Based in Ankara, Gözde Bayar is a Partner of Ketenci&Ketenci and the representative of the firm in Ankara.

She qualified as a lawyer in 2003 via admitting to Ankara Bar Association. Mainly focusing on Tax Law, Employment Law and Consumer Law, she as well has a full spectrum of corporate work.

Gözde advises on many legal issues within the context of Commercial Law, by providing legal service as a consultant and litigator both for entities and individuals who need legal support, especially in terms of their employment and consumer protection needs. By means of taking responsibility of the criminal cases deriving from private disputes, she is also experienced in Criminal Law.

She takes it as a mission to assess the exposures of clients before any disputes arise, prepare them for any potential risks and strengthen their position with the best available measures. With a view to best protect the rights and interests of the clients, she has a tailor-made strategic approach to each dispute. Gözde is able to provide solution-oriented assistance in relation to all aspects of law.

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Bar Admission

Ankara Bar Association, 2002

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Academic Qualification

LLB, Ankara University, Faculty of Law, 2001

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Industries

Manufacturing
Customs & Trade
Banking & Finance
Logistics
Infrastructure
Insurance

Natalia Chaeva stands as a consultant of the firm. Based in London, her practice mainly focuses on international arbitration, international agreements, international investment law and real estate.

She obtained a Ph.D. in International Law from University Paris II Assas and an LL.M. in International Law from the same University. She worked as an attaché parlementaire at the French Senate, as a teaching fellow at the University and in private practice in Paris and in London. She is currently a visiting fellow at the British Institute of International and Comparative Law (BIICL) in London. She is also a member of International Law Association (ILA) and LCIA Young International Arbitration Group. Russian and French, she has a good command of 6 languages.

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Academic Qualification

Université Panthéon-Assas Paris II, Ph.D. – 2014

Université Panthéon-Assas Paris II, LL.M. (Master 2) – 2008

Université Montesquieu Bordeaux IV, LL.B. – 2006

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Latest Published Work

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“A new EU Model of Investor-State Dispute Settlement and the Existing Investment Arbitration System”, International Commercial Arbitration Review, November 2016, forthcoming

“La réforme du Règlement du Sénat : une restructuration fondamentale des méthodes de travail de la Chambre haute?”, forthcoming (Pouvoirs, n°159 : le Sénat)

“Sir Arnold Mc Nair et la survie des traités à la guerre”, presentation at the 3e journée d’étude de l’Institut des Hautes Études Internationales (IHEI), 12 February 2016, forthcoming

“The Russian Constitutional Court and its Actual Control over the ECtHR Judgement in Anchugov and Gladkov”, EJIL Talk! (26 April 2016) : http://www.ejiltalk.org/the-russian-constitutional-court-and-its-actual-control-over-the-ecthr-judgement-in-anchugov-and-gladko/

“Les opinions dissidentes des arbitres CIRDI et la production normative en droit international des investissements”, proceedings of the annual conference of the French Society of International Law (SFDI), 359 (Paris, Pedone, 2016)

“Quel rideau de fer ? L’individu comme sujet médiat chez S. Krylov et D. Anzilotti”, proceedings of the 1ère journée d’étude de l’IHEI, Grandes pages du droit international: Les sujets, 193 (Paris, Pedone, 2015)

“Les affaires Yukos devant la Cour permanente d’arbitrage: 1er acte”, Les Cahiers de l’Arbitrage – The Paris Journal of International Arbitration 1069 (2010/4)

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Industries

Real Estate & Construction
Energy & Resources
Investment
Private Equity

Sefa Seyman is a Partner of Ketenci&Ketenci and he is the representative of the firm in İzmir.

He qualified as a lawyer in 1997 via admitting to Izmir Bar Association. His practice mainly focuses on commercial transactions, Bankruptcy and Enforcement Law Civil Law, Criminal Law and Corporate Law matters.

In particular, Sefa has substantial experience in defending high profile cases and some of the largest legal actions of recent years. He also has a long track record of successfully pursuing recovery claims against suppliers, distributors, contractors and manufacturers here and abroad.

Sefa provides advice to businesses operating in key industry sectors with a global, comprehensive approach. He is also well-known for successfully handling regulatory and criminal prosecutions resulting from frauds, white-collar crimes, personal injury and damage to property, with a track record of wins at trial.

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Bar Admission

İzmir Bar Association (1997)

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Academic Qualification

LLB, Dokuz Eylul Law Faculty, 1996

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Industries

Construction & Property
Healthcare
Leisure & Hospitality
Public Sector
Retail
Transportation & Logistics
Mining & Metals

Seyrani Tombak is the Tax Advisor of Ketenci&Ketenci. He is a highly experienced independent accountant and financial advisor with an ongoing professional life of over 20 years. He also acts as a certified public accountant for many respected companies in Turkey.

His contentious tax practice combines outstanding technical ability, strategic oversight and commercial understanding to steer our clients through the resolution and litigation of financial disputes, including the ones related with tax matters.

As tax authorities in Turkey take an increasingly robust stance on tax compliance and law enforcement, businesses have a sharper focus on how tax controversies are managed, with brand and reputational risk being increasingly important factors. In this sense, Mr. Tombak understands the importance of managing tax disputes successfully and cost effectively.

He acts on the full range of civil and criminal tax disputes and contentious issues, providing liability and quantum advice and representing clients in litigation and negotiation with revenue authorities. Mr. Tombak is able to advise on all corporate, indirect, personal and environmental taxes, by helping clients balance the risk of tax positions with the impact on shareholders.

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Industries

Automotives
Energy
Infrastructure
Real Estate
Consumer Products & Retail
Food & Agriculture

Having an extensive Turkish legal practice experience for over 40 years, Mehmet Ketenci now acts as a Senior Advisor of Ketenci&Ketenci on litigation and dispute resolution.

With over forty years of unique multi-jurisdictional experience, Mehmet stands amongst the most recognised and experienced dispute resolution lawyers in Turkey. He is highly praised by his clients for his sharp lawyering skills, and has a creative and thorough approach to problem-solving with an excellent grasp of commercial and corporate litigation, dispute resolution as well as regulatory, compliance and governance issues.

His practice mainly focuses on commercial, corporate, labor and civil law matters. He has extensively represented notable clients across a variety of industries including media, technology, telecoms, retail, financial institutions, automotive and many others.

Mr. Ketenci has previously acted as a Vice-President of Eskişehir Bar Association in Turkey.

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Bar Admission

Eskişehir Bar Association (1974)

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Academic Qualification

LLB, Istanbul University Law Faculty, 1973

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Industries

Automotives
Energy
Infrastructure
Real Estate
Telecommunications
Pharmaceuticals

Kabay Tevfik is a Partner of Ketenci&Ketenci. He has over 20 years of experience in representing clients on corporate and commercial matters, including banking, real estate, litigation, employment, insurance and transportation matters.

Mr. Aşıcıoğlu offers the utmost professional legal representation before courts in Turkey. He has extensive experience advising on large-scale cases and widely recognized for his ability to represent clients on their most critical litigation issues.

With his excellent knowledge of civil procedure rules, Mr. Aşıcıoğlu always aims to solve the cases as fast as possible and in favor of our clients. He is able to rapidly assemble a focused and efficient team to address all important aspects of a client’s problem and to handle numerous cases at courts across Turkey.

In addition to the litigation expertise; he has an in-depth knowledge of the local market, experience across the globe in various commercial transactions, understanding and commitment to deliver the levels of the quality and professionalism that the clients have come to expect. All these assets enable him to serve our clients in all aspects of their several commercial projects and disputes.

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Bar Admission

Istanbul Bar Association

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Academic Qualification

LLB, Istanbul University Law Faculty – 1987

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Industries

Infrastructure
Real Estate and Construction
Energy
Consumer Products & Retail
Transportation & Logistics