Bar Associations (Baro) operate across the 81 provinces in Turkey. As an asylum-seeker or a refugee, you have the right to approach and request legal aid from these Bar Associations for any legal dispute you may face.

Whether you may need to cover the relevant costs for legal assistance depends on your financial situation. If it is determined by the authorities that you do not have the financial capacity to hire a lawyer, you may be able to benefit from legal aid provided by the Legal Aid Bureaus under each Bar Association in Turkey.

Legal aid is available for cases initiated against administrative decisions (including rejection of international protection claim, international protection application considered withdrawn, deportation, and administrative detention) as well as other cases (such as divorce and rent proceedings).

The contact information for all Bar Associations can be found on the Union of Turkish Bar Associations website.

Legal aid may also be requested from the courts. If a person explicitly states his/her legal aid request in the appeal petition, the respective court will assess the request and decide on the appointment of a lawyer under the legal aid scheme. In criminal proceedings, the court may also directly appoint a lawyer free of charge in certain circumstances.

UNHCR and its partners also provide legal counselling to refugees and can inform you of the legal aid procedures provided by the Bar Association in your province. You can seek this support from the available UNHCR offices or partners in the province where you are living or reach out to UNHCR through phone or email.