According to the Law on the Procedures to Initiate Debt Collection Proceedings for Receivables Arising out of Subscription Agreements No. 7155 ("Law"), which was published in the Official Gazette on 19 November 2018, it mandatory to apply to mediation before filing commercial lawsuits claiming receivables or damages, effective as of 1 January 2019.
Pursuant to the Law, an article with the heading "Mediation as a precondition of justiciability" has been added to the Turkish Commercial Code No. 6102. Accordingly, the mediators are required to finalize the mediation process within six weeks of their assignment. The mediator may extend this period for no more than 2 weeks, provided that an extension does not necessitate due to extraordinary cases.
The mandatory mediation is applicable in, among others, commercial lawsuits arising from and/or in connection with the Turkish Commercial Code, mergers and acquisitions, intellectual property, etc.