Short answer: how do you hire a marketing agency in Turkey from abroad? To hire a marketing agency in Turkey from abroad, sign a contract that names scope, KPIs and reporting, keeps ad accounts and data in your name, includes a GDPR processing agreement and clear exit terms, and states how VAT is handled on invoices. Pay by SWIFT in your agreed currency and review results every month.
Why Turkey works for European and UK clients
The working day overlaps. Turkey has used one fixed offset, UTC+3, all year since 2016. Germany and most of the EU use UTC+1 in winter and UTC+2 in summer, and the UK uses UTC+0 and UTC+1. Istanbul is therefore two hours ahead of Berlin in winter and one in summer, and three hours ahead of London in winter and two in summer. With a 9 to 18 day on both sides, that leaves about seven shared hours with Berlin in winter and eight in summer, and six or seven with London. That is our arithmetic from the offsets, not a published figure.
Nearshore, not offshore. The team works hours close to yours, in English or German, inside ad accounts that sit in your name.
One limit to plan for. Turkish public holidays, including the religious holidays that move each year, can close offices for several days. Ask for a holiday cover plan. This article is not about price. For that, see our cost comparison for Turkey, the UK and Germany.
What the contract must say
Scope and deliverables
List channels, markets, languages, monthly deliverables, revision rounds and exclusions. Separate the agency fee from the media budget. Google or Meta should bill ad spend to a payment method in your name. It should never pass through the agency's invoice.
KPIs and reporting
Agree before launch what counts as success: qualified leads, revenue, cost per acquisition. Name the source of truth, such as your own analytics or CRM, because each ad platform counts conversions in its own way. Do not accept guaranteed rankings, leads or sales. No agency controls the platforms or your offer.
Account and data ownership
Open Google Ads, Meta Business Manager, GA4, Tag Manager, Search Console and the domain in your company's name, with your people as owners. Google's documentation describes two ways to give an agency access: a direct invitation or a linked manager account. You can remove either. An agency that proposes opening accounts under its own umbrella is a red flag.
Intellectual property
State who owns the creative, usually on full payment, and that source files are delivered. List third party material such as stock photos, fonts and music, because each carries its own licence. Without a clause, rights can stay with whoever made the work.
Data protection and the processing agreement
If the agency handles personal data for you, such as customer lists, lead forms or analytics, GDPR Article 28(3) requires a written contract. It must cover the subject matter, duration, nature and purpose of processing, the data types and the people concerned. It must bind the agency to your documented instructions, confidentiality, security, controlled use of sub-processors, help with data subject requests, and deletion or return of data at the end.
Turkey is a third country. As far as we could verify, it is not on the European Commission's list of adequacy decisions, so GDPR Chapter V asks for appropriate safeguards, in practice usually standard contractual clauses. Remote access from outside the EU can count as a transfer. Have your data protection officer or counsel confirm the setup. The agency also has duties under Turkish data protection law, so ask how it handles both.
Termination and handover
Fix the notice period and a short first term with a review date. Write down what you receive on exit: untouched access to all accounts, report exports, creative source files, documented settings and tracking IDs, and written confirmation of data deletion or return.
Invoicing and payment
Agree the invoice currency in the contract, in euro, pound or dollar, so lira movements stay out of your budget. Ask for the agency fee and any pass-through costs on separate lines.
Turkish bank accounts use IBAN, but Turkey is not on the European Payments Council's list of SEPA countries, so a normal SEPA transfer is not available. Expect an international SWIFT transfer. Ask your bank about fees and who bears intermediary charges.
VAT depends on where you sit. The table summarises the primary rules, and your adviser should confirm your case.
| Where | Rule | Primary source | What to do |
|---|---|---|---|
| Turkey (agency side) | Services for a customer abroad can be exempt as service exports if performed for that customer and used abroad. The conditions are technical, so treat this as a starting point. | VAT Law no. 3065, Art. 11/1-a and 12/2, GİB VAT Communique | Get the exemption confirmed in writing. Campaigns aimed at Turkish consumers may not qualify. |
| EU customer | B2B services are taxed where the customer is established. The customer accounts for VAT by reverse charge when the supplier is not established there. The invoice should say "Reverse charge". | Directive 2006/112/EC, Art. 44, 196, 226(11a) | Give the agency your VAT ID. Report the reverse charge on your VAT return. |
| UK customer | A VAT registered UK business buying business services from abroad accounts for UK VAT by reverse charge. | VAT Act 1994, s.8, HMRC Notice 741A | Check current guidance with your adviser before the first invoice. |
Communication and reporting rhythm
Agree this in writing:
- One named lead at the agency and one decision maker on your side.
- A short weekly check-in, a monthly performance review and a quarterly strategy review.
- A dashboard on your own accounts, so you see the numbers the platforms hold.
- A written response time, and a named backup for holidays.
- A shared change log for budgets, targeting and creative.
What to expect in the first 90 days
| Days | Focus | What you receive |
|---|---|---|
| 1 to 14 | Access, audit, tracking | Accounts in your name, tested tracking, written plan |
| 15 to 30 | First launch | Live campaigns, first report with early signals |
| 31 to 60 | Learning and fixing | Reviewed search terms, audiences and creative, budget moved to what works |
| 61 to 90 | Review against KPIs | Written review and a decision to continue, change or stop |
Platforms need data before they stabilise, so judge month one on setup quality, not results. Rebel Co. Group follows the same order: strategy call, audit, written proposal, setup in your accounts, then run and review.
Red flags
- Accounts opened under the agency's own name or payment method.
- Guaranteed rankings, leads or sales.
- No named person, or a sales lead who disappears after signing.
- Ad spend routed through the agency with no platform invoices.
- A long fixed term with no review or exit clause.
- No answer on VAT, data processing or sub-processors.
- Reports that show only rising metrics.
Evaluation checklist: 10 points
- Accounts, domain and analytics are opened in your company's name.
- The scope lists channels, markets, languages and exclusions.
- KPIs and the source of truth are written down.
- A GDPR processing agreement is signed, with a transfer safeguard for Turkey.
- Invoice currency, payment method and bank charges are fixed.
- The agency states its VAT treatment in writing and your adviser has checked yours.
- Ownership of creative and source files is clear.
- Reporting rhythm, named contacts and response times are agreed.
- A short first term, a review date and a notice period are in the contract.
- The exit list covers access, exports, files and data deletion.
Where Rebel Co. Group fits
Rebel Co. Group is a digital marketing agency in Istanbul with 7 years of work across 15 sectors and 300+ brands. We open ad accounts, analytics and tag manager in the client's name, write exit terms into the contract from day one, and our site and materials are available in English, German, Turkish, Russian and Arabic. Bring this checklist to a first call. For the wider decision, read how to choose a digital marketing agency in Turkey, the nearshore team model, marketing agency in Istanbul and digital marketing agency in Turkey.
Bring this checklist to a first call.
Talk to usFrequently asked questions
Is it safe to hire a marketing agency in Turkey from abroad?
It is as safe as the contract. The country is rarely the risk, weak structure is. Keep ad accounts and data in your name, sign a GDPR processing agreement, start with a short term and a review date, and keep payment simple. With those in place, a Turkish agency carries the same kind of risk as any agency abroad.
Do I pay Turkish VAT on an agency invoice?
It depends on the service. Services performed for a customer abroad and used abroad can be exempt as service exports under Turkish VAT Law Art. 11/1-a and 12/2. Campaigns aimed at Turkish consumers may be treated differently. Ask the agency to state its treatment on the invoice and confirm your own side with your tax adviser.
How do I pay a marketing agency in Turkey?
By international bank transfer, normally SWIFT. Turkey is not in the SEPA scheme, so a euro SEPA payment is not possible. Fix the invoice currency in the contract, agree who bears bank charges, and pay ad spend directly to Google or Meta from your own account, not through the agency.
Do I need a data processing agreement with a Turkish agency?
Yes, if the agency processes personal data on your behalf. GDPR Art. 28(3) requires a written contract with set terms. Because Turkey is a third country and, as far as we could verify, has no Commission adequacy decision, add a transfer safeguard such as standard contractual clauses. Ask your data protection officer to review it.
Who should own the ad accounts?
You. Open Google Ads, Meta Business Manager, GA4, Tag Manager and Search Console under your company and add the agency as a user or through a linked manager account. Ownership decides what you keep when the contract ends: campaign history, audiences, conversion data and the freedom to switch agencies without starting from zero.
How long before I see results?
Judge setup quality in the first month and performance at about 90 days against the agreed KPIs. Platforms need data before they stabilise, and results depend on your offer, market and budget, so no honest agency guarantees a number. A good agency shows early signals, explains them and corrects course in writing.
Related articles
- Digital marketing agency costs: Turkey vs the UK and Germany.
- How to choose a digital marketing agency in Turkey.
- Nearshore digital marketing team in Turkey: senior people, European hours, a smarter cost base.
- Marketing agency in Istanbul: meet us in person, run campaigns in your own accounts
- Digital marketing agency in Turkey, built for European brands.