Financial & corporate translation
Your parent company’s accounts and articles must be understood by the Turkish registry officer, the bank and your accountant
When Chinese companies set up a branch or company in Türkiye, increase capital, open a bank account or take part in a tender, they usually submit the parent company’s financial statements, audit reports, articles of association and board resolutions. Yeni İpekyolu (New Silk Road)’s financial translators know Chinese accounting standards and the account terms used in Türkiye, and by communicating directly with your accountant (mali müşavir) they cut down the cycle of missing documents.
How a Chinese parent company’s documents reach Turkish institutions
The registry officer knows your parent company through the Turkish text
When Chinese companies set up a company, open a bank account, apply for work permits or enter tenders in Türkiye, at almost every step they have to prove “who the parent company is, who has signing authority, and what its financial position is”. The answer lies in the articles of association, registry certificate, board resolutions and financial statements. Turkish institutions generally accept only Turkish texts, and in most cases also require sworn translation and notarisation.
The structure of a Chinese business registry certificate differs considerably from Turkish registry records; concepts such as business scope, registered capital and legal representative are expressed differently in Türkiye. If translated word for word, the registry officer may not understand the text and may ask for further explanation. Accurate wording that fits Turkish practice reduces this back-and-forth.
The difference between the Uniform Chart of Accounts and Chinese accounting items
Turkish companies generally keep their books according to the Uniform Chart of Accounts (Tekdüzen Hesap Planı), and large companies may additionally apply Turkish Financial Reporting Standards. Account names under Chinese accounting standards do not map one-to-one onto these; items such as “other receivables” or “special reserves”, for example, must be rendered according to their content. In translation, we focus on conveying the original meaning accurately and make no accounting adjustments.
Number format is another common trap. In Türkiye a comma is used for decimals and a point as the thousands separator; amounts may be in Turkish lira, yuan or dollars, and audit reports also use units such as “thousand yuan” or “ten thousand yuan”. The translation should standardise the format and state the unit clearly; otherwise the bank or registry may misread the amount.
Company name, validity and certification order: three causes of delay
The first is a mix-up in certification order: the document is first translated in Türkiye, then it turns out that notarisation and an apostille were needed in China, and the translation has to be redone. The second is inconsistent spelling of the company name: if the English names on the registry certificate, bank documents and contracts differ, Turkish institutions doubt whether it is the same company. The third is documents expiring: some institutions only accept a recent registry certificate or reference letter.
In addition, the accountant plays an important role in a company’s day-to-day operations in Türkiye and carries out many registry and tax procedures. We recommend allowing us to contact your accountant directly to confirm which documents are needed and in what form. This prevents gaps that arise when information is passed along second-hand.
We check the figures; your accountant gives the accounting opinion
Yeni İpekyolu handles the translation of financial and corporate documents, figure checks, sworn translation and notarisation, and language communication with your accountant and bank. Accounting work, tax returns and legal opinions are the responsibility of your Turkish accountant, auditor or lawyer. By relaying their opinions and requests accurately to headquarters, we help both sides work efficiently.
Before starting, prepare editable files of the documents, the company’s full Chinese and English names, the unified credit code and the institution’s list of requirements. If the documents require notarisation and an apostille in China, let us know first; we confirm the order before starting translation. For recurring documents, we recommend building a permanent term list and using it again the following year.
Companies submitting parent company documents in Türkiye
Groups setting up a company or branch in Türkiye
The parent company’s articles of association, registry certificate and board resolution are submitted to the Trade Registry (Ticaret Sicili). These documents usually first go through notarisation and apostille in China, then are translated and notarised in Türkiye. The company name and the name of the legal representative must be written identically in all documents.
Companies opening a corporate bank account in Türkiye
In a bank’s KYC review, a shareholding structure chart, an ultimate beneficial owner declaration and up-to-date financial statements are frequently requested. Turkish banks are subject to anti-money-laundering legislation and, for multi-layered structures, ask questions all the way up to the ultimate natural person. Clear and consistent translations noticeably reduce how often the bank asks for documents again.
Companies taking part in tenders in Türkiye
Tender qualification assessments usually require audited financial statements and a bank reference letter. The tender specifications often state the required form of translation explicitly (sworn translation, notarisation, apostille). We prepare according to the specifications; the final interpretation rests with the contracting authority.
Türkiye teams reporting to headquarters
Financial reports, tax correspondence and audit opinions of the Turkish subsidiary are translated into Chinese for headquarters. Turkish account items and tax terms may have no exact equivalent in China and need to be explained correctly. We aim for a text the finance team at headquarters understands immediately, adding explanatory notes where needed.
From financial statements to board resolutions: what we translate
Financial statements and audit reports
Balance sheet, income statement, cash flow statement, notes and the auditor’s opinion. Accounting policies in the notes are the most difficult part, and we give them special attention. Wording that indicates the type of audit opinion must match the original exactly.
Corporate governance documents
Articles of association, general assembly and board resolutions, appointment letters and signature declarations. Turkish registry offices have specific expectations regarding the form and content of resolutions; the translation must be directly understandable to the registry officer. For job titles specific to Chinese companies, established Turkish equivalents are chosen.
Banking and compliance documents
Shareholding structure explanations, ultimate beneficial owner declarations, reference letters and KYC forms. We can redraw a Chinese shareholding chart in Turkish. Questions on bank forms can also be translated into Chinese so headquarters can answer them correctly.
Tax and activity reports
Tax certificates/payment documents, annual activity reports and investor presentations. Letters and penalty notices from the Turkish tax office can also be translated into Chinese so headquarters understands the situation. Tax assessments should be made by your Turkish accountant.
Preserving table layout
Table structure and number formats are preserved, making comparison with the original easy. In Türkiye the decimal separator is a comma and the thousands separator a point, the reverse of Chinese practice; we standardise the format to the receiving institution’s expectations. Totals and subtotals are rechecked after translation.
Service summary and requirements
| Common uses | Trade Registry · banks · tenders |
|---|---|
| Language direction | Chinese ⇄ Turkish / English |
| Pricing | Per word or per page · notarisation extra |
| Service languages | Chinese · Turkish · English |
| Cities served | Mainly Istanbul; also Ankara, Izmir and other cities |
The final price and timeline depend on your documents and scope; we send a clear quote within 2 hours.
What you need to provide
- Financial statements or corporate documents (preferably Excel / Word; scanned documents also accepted)
- The company’s full Chinese and English names and its credit code
- The receiving institution; whether notarisation or an apostille is required
- Contact details of your accountant or lawyer, if any
From account matching to notarised delivery
- 1
Defining the purpose and the institution
We establish whether the document goes to the registry, a bank, the tax office or a contracting authority, and whether notarisation is required. Different institutions may have different requirements for the same document. Once the purpose is clear, we propose a document list and an order for certifications.
- 2
Matching terms and accounts
Turkish equivalents for account items, titles and job names are fixed. If your accountant uses particular wording, we use it first. The term list is also used for the following years’ reports.
- 3
Translation and figure check
A financial translator translates, and a second translator checks amounts, dates and ratios one by one. Numerical errors are the most critical problem in financial translation, so checking is a separate step. Inconsistencies in the original accounts are flagged and reported to you.
- 4
Certification and delivery
Sworn translation and notarisation are carried out where needed, and a digital copy is also sent to your accountant. Printed copies are handed to you or sent directly to the specified address. If an apostille is required, we explain whether it should be obtained in China or in Türkiye.
Frequently asked questions
What needs to be done before parent company documents are submitted to the Trade Registry?
Usually the documents are first notarised and apostilled in China, then sworn translation and notarisation are obtained in Türkiye. The list may vary by company type and registry office. We recommend confirming it with your accountant; we prepare the translations according to the confirmed list.
Do you restate the statements according to Turkish accounting standards?
No. We translate the original statements faithfully and make no accounting adjustments or restatements. Conversion to Turkish Financial Reporting Standards (TFRS) or another local framework should be done by an accountant or auditor; we can translate their work.
The documents contain trade secrets; how is security ensured?
We sign a non-disclosure agreement, and documents circulate only among the project translators. When the work is finished, they are deleted on request. Undisclosed financial data is never used for any other purpose.
How is the unified social credit code on a Chinese business registry certificate shown in the Turkish translation?
The code is kept as is and explained in a way that makes clear it is the company’s unique identification number. The Turkish or Latin-script spelling of the company name must be the same in all documents. We recommend fixing a single spelling in advance and using it in bank and tax documents too.
We don’t understand the questions a Turkish bank asks when opening an account; can you help?
Yes. We can translate the bank’s forms and requests for additional documents into Chinese, and your answers and supporting documents into Turkish. If needed, we also provide an interpreter to accompany you to the bank. The bank decides whether to open the account through its own internal review; we cannot guarantee the outcome.
The audit report is in English; does it also need to be translated into Turkish?
That depends on the institution receiving the document. Banks sometimes accept the English text; however, the Trade Registry, courts and most public institutions generally require a Turkish translation. Ask the institution before submitting so you don’t lose time on a last-minute translation.
We submit similar documents every year; can we work with you long term?
Yes. We keep your company’s term list and previous years’ translations; the following year only new and changed parts are processed, and the wording stays consistent. This approach is especially suitable for recurring documents such as activity reports, board resolutions and audit reports. Share your annual calendar in advance so we can allocate our team accordingly.
Tell us what you need in Türkiye
Our Chinese-speaking consultant reviews it for free and gives you a clear price and timeline.
