Turn suspicion into manageable facts.
A suspicion of misconduct, a whistleblower report or a compliance breach grows worse when the internal investigation is handled poorly. From incident identification to interviews, from evidence preservation to sanction and notification decisions, we conduct internal investigations under legal safeguards.
An internal investigation is a matter of trust and discipline
When a suspicion of misconduct or a whistleblower report arises, the first 48 hours are decisive: evidence must be preserved, the process must be kept confidential, and every step taken — interviews, system reviews, sanctions — must comply with the law. Otherwise the investigation itself produces employment lawsuits, breaches of KVKK (Türkiye's data protection law) and reputational damage.
We conduct internal investigations under a structured protocol: scope and hypothesis, evidence preservation, document and system review, interviews, findings report and action plan. In reviews at the Turkish subsidiaries of German parent companies, we bring group standards and local law together within a single process.
When Does This Apply?
The situations our internal investigation service typically covers.
Misconduct & Corruption
Investigation of allegations of embezzlement, fake invoicing, supplier arrangements and conflicts of interest.
Whistleblower Follow-up
Confidential assessment and investigation of reports received through whistleblowing channels.
Policy Violations
Identification and documentation of non-compete violations, data leaks, harassment and code-of-conduct breaches.
How Does the Process Work?
The three-stage protocol we follow in every investigation.
01 · Securing
We clarify the scope and hypothesis and secure evidence, access rights and confidentiality from day one.
02 · Review & Interviews
We carry out the document and system review and conduct interviews on the record, within the limits of labour law and KVKK.
03 · Report & Action
We report the findings with their evidentiary value and jointly decide on discipline, termination, criminal complaints and notifications.
An approach that thinks the investigation through to its consequences
The output of an internal investigation is not only “what happened”; it is the validity of terminations, the compensation and criminal dimensions, insurance notifications and, where necessary, communication with public authorities. We design the process around these outcomes from the outset and keep the company defensible on every front.
- Privileged investigation conducted under attorney confidentiality
- Integrated with the labour law team: validity in termination and discipline
- KVKK-compliant review and interview protocols
- Alignment of local practice with German parent-company standards
- Seamless transition to criminal and civil litigation when needed
Other Investigation Services
When needed, the same team can seamlessly extend its work to our other solutions in this area.
Related Areas & Legislation
The focus areas, practice areas, desks and legislation connected with this service.
Our Matters in This Service
The anonymised examples of our work that relate to this service.
Managing an internal suspicion through investigation and defence
In a suspected corruption matter, a procedurally sound internal investigation, disciplinary process, and coordination of the corporate defence at the prosecution stage.
Review the matter →Compliance · WhistleblowingClosing a whistleblowing report through investigation and compliance
Investigating a report received through the reporting channel while preserving confidentiality and the prohibition on retaliation; linking the root cause to the compliance programme.
Review the matter →The Team Delivering This Service
With our multilingual team of lawyers, well-versed in Turkish and German law, we are by your side.
Related Publications
Fresh perspectives and guides from the Knowledge Centre.
The first hours matter, and they should be run to a plan and not to a reflex. In order: accuse no one, and do not put the suspect on notice yet, or evidence may be destroyed. Then place the evidence under legal hold — suspend routine deletion and log rotation for e-mails, system and access logs, accounting records and physical documents. Keep the information inside a narrow circle on a need-to-know basis and, where…
Under certain conditions yes, but never unconditionally. Examining an employee’s corporate computer or mailbox means processing personal data, so it is bound by the principles of the Personal Data Protection Law (No. 6698): a specific and legitimate purpose, a scope limited and proportionate to that purpose, and an employee who was told in advance. In practice the safe footing is laid at the start of employment, wit…
In most cases yes — but as a temporary measure protecting the integrity of the investigation, not as a punishment. The safest route in practice is paid administrative leave that removes the employee’s access to the evidence and to witnesses; because pay and benefits continue, there is no detriment for them to point to.Form and communication are what decide it. The measure should be in writing, for a defined period,…
Not in every case. As a rule it is the company’s decision whether to file a criminal complaint, and even where an internal investigation turns up a suspicion of an offence, starting a criminal process is a strategic choice weighed against its commercial, reputational, recovery and evidential consequences. In some files terminating the employment and pursuing damages is the better first move.There are situations wher…
Yes; we build a framework that respects the group standard and Turkish law at the same time. In German-headquartered multinationals, investigations usually run to a global protocol — interview formats, document collection, reporting templates, whistleblowing channels. Applying those here means holding two local limits: the employee-protective provisions of the Labour Law (No. 4857) on how interviews are conducted, t…
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