Onur ÇALIŞICI — Founding Partner & Attorney at Law
Corporate, Commercial & International Law for Foreign Investors in Turkey
Onur Çalışıcı is a Founding Partner of Istanbul Attorneys, leading the firm's corporate, commercial, and international practice. He represents foreign investors, multinational corporations, and high-net-worth individuals on cross-border transactions, corporate structuring, real estate acquisitions, and international disputes connected to Turkey.
His client base spans more than 40 countries, with a particular focus on investors entering the Turkish market for the first time — where local legal nuance, regulatory layers, and language barriers often create unnecessary risk. Onur's work centers on translating that complexity into clear, executable legal architecture: contracts that hold up, corporate structures that scale, and dispute strategies that anticipate the moves of the opposing side.
He communicates directly with clients in English, Turkish, and conversational Russian, removing the friction that typically separates foreign investors from the Turkish legal system.
Practice Areas
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Corporate & Commercial Law — Company formation, shareholder agreements, joint ventures, mergers and acquisitions
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International Business Transactions — Cross-border contracts, foreign investment structuring, distribution and agency agreements
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Real Estate for Foreign Investors — TAPU due diligence, property acquisition, citizenship-by-investment property structuring
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Corporate Tax & Wealth Structuring — Double taxation treaties, holding company design, corporate restructuring
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Cross-Border Disputes & Enforcement — Recognition and enforcement of foreign judgments, international arbitration coordination
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Family Law for Expats — Divorce jurisdiction, property division, prenuptial agreements for foreign spouses
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Turkish Citizenship by Investment — End-to-end legal architecture for HNWI applicants
Education
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- Bachelor of Laws (LL.B), Istanbul Sabahattin Zaim University
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- Faculty of Law, University of Ferrara, Italy — Erasmus+ Programme
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- Bachelor of Political Science and International Relations, Istanbul University (in progress)
Professional Experience
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Founding Partner, Lexin Legal / Istanbul Attorneys (October 2022 – Present)
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Legal Researcher, Università degli Studi di Padova, Italy (June 2021 – September 2022)
Bar Admission & Memberships
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Member of the Istanbul Bar Association — Registration No. 83426
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Member of the Union of Turkish Bar Associations (Türkiye Barolar Birliği)
Languages
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English — full professional proficiency
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Turkish — native
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Russian — conversational
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Romanian — Beginner
Approach
Onur's practice is built on a single working principle: every clause, every filing, every step in a strategy must withstand independent scrutiny. International clients in Turkey rarely fail because of missing law — they fail because of missing detail. His role is to remove the gap between what foreign investors think they have and what Turkish law will actually enforce.
Every engagement begins with a clear written assessment: the legal position, the realistic outcomes, the cost, and the timeline. No vague reassurances, no jargon used as a shield. Where a position is weak, the client hears it first. Where it is strong, the strategy is built to keep it that way.
Recent Insights
"Corporate Tax in Turkey 2026: Foreign Investor Guide"
→ https://www.istanbulattorneys.com/post/corporate-tax-wealth-structuring-turkey
"Mergers & Acquisitions in Turkey: A Strategic Guide for Foreign Investors"
→ https://www.istanbulattorneys.com/post/mergers-acquisitions-turkey-foreign-investors
"Company Formation in Turkey: LLC vs Joint-Stock Company"
→ https://www.istanbulattorneys.com/post/company-formation-turkey-foreign-investors
"Buying Property in Turkey as a Foreigner: TAPU Process"
→ https://www.istanbulattorneys.com/post/buying-property-turkey-foreigner-tapu
"Cross-Border Inheritance & Estate Planning in Turkey"
→ https://www.istanbulattorneys.com/post/cross-border-inheritance-turkey-estate-planning-1
Contact
Securing a robust legal framework in Turkey requires timely and expert intervention. Reach out directly to schedule a consultation with Onur Çalışıcı to discuss specific legal requirements, investment plans, or dispute resolution needs. Ensure that your next steps are legally flawless.