Prof. Dr. Şebnem Akipek
CONTENTS
FOREWORD 5
CONTENTS 7
INTRODUCTION 17
SECTION I
INTRODUCTION TO TURKISH CIVIL LAW
CHAPTER I CONTEXT AND SOURCES OF LAW 23
I. INTRODUCTION 23
II. RULES OF SOCIAL ORDER 24
A. Religious Rules 25
B. Moral Rules (Moral Codes) 29
C. Rules of Courtesy (Etiquette) 32
D. Legal Rules 34
1. Introduction 34
2. Definition of Law 35
3. Main Objectives of Law 37
a. Introduction 37
b. To Ensure and Preserve Peace
and Harmony 37
c. To Ensure Legal Certainty 38
d. To Secure Justice 38
e. To Meet Social Necessities 40
4. Main Types of Legal Sanctions 41
a. Introduction 41
b. Penalty 42
c. Security Precautions 42
d. Rescission 42
e. Invalidity 43
i. Introduction 43
ii. Unilateral Bindingness (Inadequacy) 43
iii. Nullity (Being null and void) 44
iv. Annulment (Cancellation-
Rescission) 45
f. Compensation 46
g. Execution 47
CHAPTER II BRANCHES OF LAW 49
I. INTRODUCTION 49
II. BRANCHES OF PRIVATE LAW 54
A. Civil Law 54
B. Commercial Law 56
C. Private International Law 57
III. BRANCHES OF PUBLIC LAW 57
A. Constitutional Law 57
B. Administrative Law 59
C. Criminal Law 60
D. Law of Civil, Criminal and Administrative Procedure 60
E. Execution and Bankruptcy Law 61
F. International Public Law 61
IV. BRANCHES OF MIXED LAW 62
CHAPTER III SOURCES OF TURKISH LAW 63
I. TURKISH CIVIL CODE ARTICLE 1 63
II. MEANING OF “THE CODE” AND THE SOURCES OF LAW 65
A. Introduction 65
B. Sources of Law 66
1. Primary (Direct) Sources 66
a. Written Sources 66
b. Unwritten Source – Customary
Law 71
2. Secondary (Indirect) Sources of Law 72
a. Doctrine 72
b. Court Decisions (Precedents) 73
CHAPTER IV APPLICATION AND
INTERPRETATION OF LAW 75
I. GENERAL 75
II. APPLICATION OF LAW 76
A. Territorial Application of Law 76
B. Ratione Temporis Application of Law 77
III. INTERPRETATION OF CODES 80
A. Textual Interpretation (Grammatical Interpretation) 82
B. Systematic Interpretation 83
C. Historical Interpretation 83
D. Teleological Interpretation (Ratio Legis) 84
IV. LACUNA (GAP) IN LAW AND GAP-FILLING 84
A. Types of Lacunae 86
1. Types of Intra Legem Lacuna 88
a. Referral 88
b. Referral to the General Clauses
and Judicial Discretion 88
2. Lacuna of Definition 90
3. Types of Extra Legem Lacuna 91
a. Genuine Lacunae 91
b. Non-Genuine Lacuna 92
B. Gap Filling in Law 93
1. The Methods of Gap Filling 93
a. Customary Law 93
b. Creation of Law by the Judge 94
2. Types of Creation of Law by
the Judge 95
V. JUDICIAL DISCRETION 99
CHAPTER V OBJECTIVE GOOD FAITH 101
I. INTRODUCTION 101
II. CHARACTERISTICS OF OBJECTIVE GOOD
FAITH 102
A. Being Extra-personal 102
B. Being Considered Per se 103
C. Subsidiarity and Being Explanatory 103
D. Being Eliminable through a Contract 103
E. Being a Part of General Principles 103
III. THE ISSUE WHETHER THE OBJECTIVE
GOOD FAITH CAN BE ELIMINATED BY
THE PARTIES OR NOT 104
A. The View that Accepts Objective Good
Faith is Related to Public Order 104
1. Some Legal Rules can be Applied per se Although they are not Related to
Public Order 105
2. The Claim about the Breach of Art.
2 is Technically not an Objection 105
3. Even Though There is a Breach of
Art. 2, the Return of Any Performance cannot be Demanded 106
B. The View that is Appropriate to the
Purpose of Art. 2 para. 1 TCC 106
IV. DIFFERENCES AND RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN OBJECTIVE GOOD FAITH AND
SIMILAR CONCEPTS 107
A. Objective Good Faith – Subjective Good Faith 107
B. Moral Rules – Objective Good Faith 108
C. Practices of Business Relationships – Objective Good Faith 108
V. APPLICATION OF GOOD FAITH 108
A. Application of Good Faith to Legal Transactions 108
1. Conclusion of Legal Transactions 108
2. Interpretation of Legal Transactions 109
3. Completion of Legal Transactions 110
4. Conversation of Legal Transactions 111
5. Culpa in Contrahendo 111
6. Clausula Rebus Sic Stantibus
(Improvisation of the Contract) 112
B. Application of Good Faith During the Application of Codes 112
1. Interpretation of Codes 112
2. Prohibition of Fraud Against Law
(Fraus legi facto) 113
C. Application of Good Faith from the Aspect
of Fulfilment of Obligations 113
VI. PROHIBITION AGAINST ABUSE OF
RIGHTS 114
A. Introduction 114
B. Main Examples of Abuse of Rights 116
1. Absence of any Profit During the
Exercise of a Right 116
2. Existence of an Excessive Disproportionality Between the
Benefits of the Parties 117
3. Contradictory Behaviour 118
C. The Results of Abuse of Right 120
CHAPTER VI SUBJECTIVE GOOD FAITH 121
I. INTRODUCTION 121
II. ELEMENTS OF GOOD FAITH 122
A. Obligation to Know Arising from
the Codes or Statutes 123
B. Obligation to Know with the Force of
Circumstances 124
III. THE RESULTS OF HAVING SUBJECTIVE
GOOD FAITH 124
A. Extinction of All Results Arising from Invalidity 124
B. Lightening of Some Results Arising
from Invalidity 126
CHAPTER VII RULES OF EVIDENCE, PUBLIC DEEDS AND REGISTERS 127
I. INTRODUCTION 127
II. EXCEPTIONS OF GENERAL RULE 128
A. Normal Circumstances 128
B. Reversal of the Burden of Proof 129
C. Presumptions 129
1. Types of Presumptions 129
a. Legal Presumptions 130
i. Ordinary Presumptions 130
ii. Absolute Presumptions 130
b. Actual Presumptions 131
2. Legal Consequences of
Presumptions 132
III. PUBLIC DEEDS AND REGISTERS 132
A. Public Deeds 132
B. Public Registers 133
C. Nature of the Public Deeds and
Registers 133
SECTION II
LAW OF PERSONS
CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION TO THE LAW OF PERSONS 137
I. CONCEPT OF PERSON 137
A. Introduction 137
B. Categories of Persons 139
II. THE CONCEPT OF PERSONALITY 139
A. Introduction 139
B. The Content of Personality 140
CHAPTER II REAL (NATURAL) PERSONALITY 143
I. THE BEGINNING AND THE END OF
PERSONALITY 143
A. Introduction 143
B. Beginning of Personality 143
1. Completed Birth (Whole Birth) 144
2. Living Child (Being Alive) 144
C. The Legal Status of the Fetus
(Child Before Birth) 145
II. END OF PERSONALITY 146
A. Introduction 146
B. Proof of Death 146
C. The Statuses of the Persons Whose Conditions are Unknown 148
1. Presumption of Death 148
a. Requirements of the Application
of This presumption 149
b. Legal Consequences of the Presumption of Death 150
2. Presumption of Absence 151
a. Conditions of Declaration on
Presumption of Absence 151
b. Prerequisites 152
c. Procedure 154
d. Legal Consequences of the Declaration of Absence 155
CHAPTER III CAPACITY OF A PERSON 157
I. LEGAL CAPACITY (CAPACITY TO HAVE RIGHTS AND DUTIES) 157
A. Introduction 157
B. Restriction of Legal Capacity 158
1. Introduction 158
2. Reasons for Restriction 159
II. CAPACITY TO ACT 160
A. Introduction 160
B. The Content of Capacity to Act 161
1. Capacity to Enter into Legal
Relations 161
2. Capacity to Dispose 162
3. Capacity to be Liable from Torts 163
4. Capacity to Bring an Action 163
C. Requirements of Capacity to Act 163
1. Capacity of Judgement (Discretion) 164
2. Majority 166
3. Not Being Placed under
Guardianship 168
D. Degrees of Capacity to Act 168
1. Full Capacity 169
2. Full Incapacity 169
3. Limited Capacity 174
4. Limited Incapacity 174
CHAPTER IV PROTECTION OF
PERSONALITY 181
I. THE CONTENT OF PERSONALITY 181
II. PERSONALITY RIGHT 182
III. WAYS TO PROTECT PERSONALITY RIGHT 182
A. Protection in Propria Persona:
Self Defence 182
B. Protection Through the Ways Foreseen
in the Code 183
1. Protection of Personality against
Oneself 183
2. Protection of Personality against
the Third Persons 185
CHAPTER V DOMICILE 189
I. CONCEPT 189
II. TYPES OF DOMICILES 190
REFERENCES 193
