The Settlement of Football Disputes in Türkiye

Introduction

This Post outlines how football disputes are settled in Türkiye under the Turkish Football Federation (TFF) framework.

Domestically, matters proceed either before the disciplinary boards or the Dispute Resolution Committee (Uyuşmazlık Çözüm Kurulu, “UÇK”), with appeals heard by the TFF Arbitration Committee. Decisions of the Arbitration Committee are final within Türkiye, and implementation is immediate.

Where a dispute is international in nature, FIFA/UEFA is competent at first instance, with potential recourse to the Court of Arbitration (CAS) against final FIFA/UEFA decisions, but not against decisions of the TFF Arbitration Committee.

Domestic Architecture and Jurisdiction

The TFF Statutes establish the Arbitration Committee as the final domestic instance for appeals against, amongst others, UÇK decisions and disciplinary board decisions.

An appeal must be lodged within seven days of notification or publication. The Statutes further provide that Arbitration Committee decisions are final and conclusive; they are not subject to review by administrative or judicial authorities. In parallel, the Statutes draw a jurisdictional line: TFF is competent regarding national disputes, whereas FIFA/UEFA is competent regarding international disputes, and CAS hears appeals only from final FIFA/UEFA decisions.

First-Instance Tracks: Disciplinary and Contractual

Disciplinary matters commence before the professional or amateur disciplinary boards in accordance with the Football Disciplinary Regulation; these decisions are appealable to the Arbitration Committee. Filing an appeal does not automatically suspend enforcement—a stay must be specifically requested granted.

Contractual and financial disputes may proceed before UÇK only if the parties have expressly accepted the competence of UÇK. By contrast, UÇK has exclusive competence in disputes regarding training compensation and certain sporting sanctions.

UÇK is a standing board, which is appointed by the TFF Board, with a president, six regular and six alternate members), and each member must be a lawyer with at least ten years’ professional experience. UÇK aims to issue a reasoned decision within four months, and appeals to the Arbitration Committee must be filed within seven days of service of that decision.

Appeals to the Arbitration Committee

The Arbitration Committee composition and procedure are prescribed by its Regulation. Members are lawyers with a minimum of ten years’ professional experience and are required to submit independence and impartiality undertakings.

The Committee generally decides on the file but may hold hearings, including by video conference. Its decisions are notified for immediate execution; as a rule, lodging an appeal does not stay enforcement. However, upon request, the Committee may order a stay, if the appealed decision appears clearly unlawful and there is a likelihood of irreparable harm.

Finality and Implementation

Two finality layers reinforce legal certainty. First, the Statutes state that decisions of the Arbitration Committee are final and cannot be pursued before the ordinary courts in Türkiye. Second, both the UÇK Regulation and the Arbitration Committee Regulation require that finalised decisions shall be executed by the TFF without delay; the Arbitration Committee Regulation expressly provides that the TFF shall implement its decisions “derhal” (immediately).

Enforcement Tools: Registration Blocks and Transfer Bans

Domestic finality is matched by practical enforcement. The Players’ Status and Transfer Regulation (PFSTT) allows creditors to request a transfer/registration ban where specified final decisions have not been honoured; clubs seeking to register new players must either show payment or obtain the creditor’s written consent. Separately, the PFSTT sets an “overdue payables” regime: if a club delays contractual payments beyond thirty days without justification, UÇK may escalate sanctions from warning and reprimand to monetary fines and, ultimately, a transfer ban for one or two full consecutive registration periods. These mechanisms make awards effective during critical transfer windows.

International Overlay: FIFA and CAS

Where a dispute has an international element—for example, a cross-border employment relationship or an international transfer—FIFA has primary jurisdiction. Under the TFF Statutes, the CAS in Lausanne, Switzerland hears appeals against final FIFA or UEFA decisions. CAS does not act as an appellate body regarding decisions of the TFF Arbitration Committee, which remain final domestically. Parties should evaluate forum strategy at the contract-drafting stage to avoid jurisdictional dead ends and to ensure enforceability across borders.

Independence and Reform Context

In its judgment of 28 January 2020 in Ali Rıza and Others v. Turkey, the European Court of Human Rights, in which case our Managing Partner, Dr Lucien Valloni, successfully represented the football player, held that Türkiye must reform the system for settling football disputes, noting the need to ensure the structural independence of the TFF Arbitration Committee. Since then, the TFF has amended core instruments, including the Statutes and the Arbitration Committee Regulation, to reinforce independence language, appointment criteria and procedural safeguards. Nevertheless, Stakeholders should preserve any independence objections on the record in cases where participation in a given forum is compulsory.

Client-Focused Legal Recommendations

Clubs

Implement formal docketing and escalation protocols upon receipt of any decision, calculating the seven-day appeal period from valid notification and instructing legal counsel without delay. Maintain a segregated reserve or equivalent liquidity to satisfy adverse domestic awards, recognising that decisions are immediately enforceable and that non-payment may trigger registration/transfer restrictions. Prior to each registration window, audit outstanding liabilities and obtain written creditor consents, where required, to avoid operational disruption. In contracting, allocate enforcement risk through clear payment schedules, default-interest and acceleration provisions, documentary evidence requirements, and an explicit forum clause stating whether UÇK competence is accepted. Designate a responsible officer to coordinate filings, payments, and communications with the TFF from the moment that a decision becomes final.

Players, Coaches, and Agents

Address forum and enforcement at the contracting stage by expressly accepting—or declining—UÇK competence and recording any jurisdictional reservations in the agreement. When arrears arise, issue formal notices of default and preserve proof of service in conformity with the TFF rules; then activate the PFSTT overdue-payables pathway and seek registration/transfer restrictions predicated on final decisions. Maintain a complete evidentiary dossier (contracts, payroll records, correspondence, notifications, calculations of sums due) to support swift execution. For matters with an international element, undertake an early forum analysis to avoid jurisdictional dead ends and to preserve cross-border enforceability.

Disciplinary Matters

Prepare to seek interim relief from the TFF Arbitration Committee where warranted. Applications for a stay should be framed to demonstrate an arguable unlawfulness on the face of the appealed decision and a concrete risk of irreparable sporting harm, supported by contemporaneous evidence (match reports, audiovisual material, officiating records) and precise citations to the applicable regulations. Observe all filing and service formalities strictly. Where appropriate, offer narrowly tailored undertakings to mitigate risk pending determination. Procedural discipline at this stage materially improves the prospects of obtaining interim protection and containing any collateral consequences.

We act on behalf of all stakeholders in all kinds of football disputes and appeals in Türkiye and internationally and further information and advice is available from the Head of our Turkish Law Practice, Gurur Gaye Günal, by emailing her at gunal@valloni.ch.