Fintech Startup Consulting

Scoped planning support for a fintech venture, not licensing or software delivery

Fintech ventures targeting the Turkish market — payment services, e-money, lending platforms, open banking integrations — sit inside a regulatory perimeter defined by the Central Bank of the Republic of Turkey (TCMB) and the Banking Regulation and Supervision Agency (BDDK), among others. FTurkey is a consulting and coordination company, not a licensed law firm, a regulator or a software development house; FTurkey does not obtain a payment institution or e-money institution license on your behalf, does not build your platform, and does not raise or manage funds. Within an agreed written scope, FTurkey helps founders map the regulatory questions and company-structuring choices relevant to a Turkish fintech launch and coordinates introductions to the licensed lawyers, compliance specialists and technical teams needed to move forward.

Understanding when payment services licensing applies

Under Law No. 6493 on Payment and Electronic Money Services, activities such as processing payment transactions, issuing e-money, or operating certain payment initiation or account information services generally require authorization as a licensed payment institution (ödeme kuruluşu) or electronic money institution (elektronik para kuruluşu) from the TCMB, with capital and governance requirements set by regulation. Whether a specific product or activity level crosses the threshold that triggers licensing is a legal and regulatory determination made by TCMB and a licensed fintech/payments lawyer, not by FTurkey. FTurkey can help you understand, at a general level, that this licensing framework exists and identify the questions about your model that need a qualified legal opinion before development or fundraising proceeds.

Open banking, data access and related obligations

Where a fintech model relies on open banking-style data access or account information services, additional technical and regulatory requirements set by TCMB and the banks involved may apply, alongside general obligations under Turkey's data protection law (Kişisel Verilerin Korunması Kanunu, KVKK) for handling customer financial and personal data. FTurkey can help you understand that these layers exist and coordinate an introduction to specialists who can assess your specific integration, but does not itself design your data architecture or confirm regulatory compliance.

Company structure and early-stage planning questions

Decisions on where to incorporate, whether a Turkish operating entity is required before or after licensing, how founder and investor equity is structured, and how a minimum viable product can be tested without crossing into regulated activity, are best organised before development begins. FTurkey can help you assemble these questions and the relevant facts (planned activity, transaction volumes, target users) for a licensed corporate lawyer and mali müşavir, and can coordinate the working relationship between them; FTurkey does not recommend a specific corporate structure or confirm that a proposed activity falls outside the licensing perimeter.

Coordinating your advisory and technical team

Where useful, FTurkey can help identify and brief independent lawyers, compliance consultants, and technical partners suited to your project's stage, translate documentation, and maintain a shared timeline across these workstreams. Software development, the actual licensing application, AML/KYC program design, and fundraising are separately scoped engagements — either with FTurkey under a distinct agreement or directly with the specialists involved — and are not included by default.

What this service does not include

FTurkey does not obtain a TCMB or BDDK license or any other regulatory authorization on your behalf, does not guarantee that a project will be licensed, funded or technically successful, and does not provide legal, tax or investment advice. Ongoing compliance monitoring and regulatory reporting after launch are outside this service unless separately agreed in writing.

Request a proposal

Request a quote describing your product concept, the payment or financial activity involved, and what you would like clarified before engaging licensed specialists. FTurkey can then propose a written scope for the orientation and coordination support available for your case.