With the pandemic added to the economic crises of recent years, the number of our citizens struggling to make payments has increased considerably.
So if someone in our family has payment difficulties and cannot pay their card debts, can we be held responsible?
Under Turkish Civil Code No. 4721:
Article 9 – A person who has capacity to act can acquire rights and incur debts through their own acts.
Article 10 – Every adult who has the power of discernment and is not under restriction has capacity to act.
Accordingly, people over the age of 18 who have the power of discernment and are not under restriction have capacity to act, and can create rights and debts for themselves through their own acts. Except for the provisions on inheritance, only the person themselves is responsible for their credit card debts, and the debtor's relatives cannot be held responsible for this debt unless they have stood as guarantor.
Situations in which responsibility may arise
The general rule is that the debt belongs to the person who uses the card. However, if someone has stood as guarantor or a supplementary card is used, responsibility may vary according to the terms of the contract.
For this reason, the contract should be read before becoming a guarantor on a relative's card application. In the case of inheritance, the right to reject or accept the inheritance also depends on legal processes.
Since the subject is legal, it is right to get an opinion from a lawyer for your personal situation.
