Sanctions Screening API — Turkey
Sanctions screening built for Turkey's compliance reality.
Turkey is on the FATF grey list. International banks apply enhanced scrutiny. MASAK maintains its own designations. Verifex screens against MASAK, OFAC, UN, EU, and 50+ other sources — with multi-script matching engineered for Turkish name transliterations. Free tier: 50 screens/month.
FATF grey list status affects every Turkish business
Since October 2021, Turkey has been on the FATF grey list for strategic deficiencies in AML/CFT. This means heightened scrutiny from correspondent banks, payment processors, and trade finance providers. Demonstrable sanctions screening with structured evidence is no longer optional for Turkish fintechs, manufacturers, and logistics companies doing cross-border business.
Turkey context
Why Turkey-specific screening matters.
Turkey's unique position — bridging EU, Russia, China, the Middle East, and Central Asia — creates complex counterparty exposure. Local regulatory requirements add another layer.
FATF grey list since 2021
Turkish businesses face enhanced due diligence from international partners. Screening evidence helps demonstrate compliance during onboarding and audits.
Complex trade geography
Key partners include the EU, Russia, China, the Middle East, and Central Asia. Each corridor carries distinct sanctions exposure and routing risk.
Turkish name transliterations
Names like Mehmet, Muhammed, and Mohamed may refer to the same person across different data sources. Fuzzy matching with per-field reasoning is essential.
MASAK designations
Turkey's own Financial Crimes Investigation Board maintains a terrorism financing designation list. Local compliance requires screening against it.
Key industries at risk
Manufacturing, textiles, logistics, fintech, and construction are heavily exposed to cross-border trade and correspondent banking relationships.
De-risking pressure
International banks have reduced correspondent relationships with Turkish institutions. Structured screening evidence helps retain banking access.
Regulatory context
The regulatory landscape for Turkish businesses.
MASAK TF Designations
Turkey's Financial Crimes Investigation Board maintains a list of designated persons and entities for terrorism financing. Turkish obliged entities must screen against this list.
FATF Grey List
Turkey has been on the FATF grey list since October 2021 for strategic deficiencies in its AML/CFT regime. This increases compliance expectations for Turkish businesses transacting internationally.
Turkish Sanctions Framework
Turkey maintains its own sanctions restrictions on transactions with certain entities, separate from OFAC and EU lists. Local compliance requires screening against Turkish designations in addition to international lists.
Correspondent Banking Scrutiny
International banks increasingly apply enhanced due diligence to Turkish correspondent relationships. Demonstrable sanctions screening with audit evidence helps maintain banking access.
API features
How Verifex supports Turkey-facing compliance teams.
One REST API. 54 configured sources. Multi-script matching. Structured evidence. Integrate in minutes, not quarters.
54 configured sources
Including MASAK TF designations, OFAC SDN, UN Security Council, EU Consolidated, UK HM Treasury, and other sanctions, PEP, and watchlist feeds.
Multi-script transliteration
Designed for Turkish names that appear in multiple Latin spellings. Fuzzy, phonetic, and contextual scoring catch variants like Mehmet / Muhammed / Mohamed.
Published benchmark
500-case benchmark: 99.68% F1, 99.36% recall, 100% precision. Measured on a self-administered 500-case benchmark with disclosed methodology.
Evidence Capsule
Every screening produces a point-in-time evidence capsule with list versions, algorithm version, and audit ID. Plan-based retention up to 365 days.
Fast REST API
p50 45ms, p95 202ms latency. Batch up to 1,000 entities per call. Official SDKs for Node.js, Python, Go, and Rust.
Continuous monitoring
Add entities to a watchlist and receive near real-time webhook alerts when their risk status changes due to list updates.
Developer experience
Single POST request. Turkish names handled automatically.
Send a name, country, and entity type. Verifex normalizes transliterations, screens against 54 configured sources including MASAK, and returns structured confidence scores with per-field reasoning.
- No training data required — works out of the box
- Transliteration normalization for Turkish Latin variants
- Structured confidence scores with threshold reasoning
- Evidence Capsule with list version and audit ID
- Official SDKs: Node.js, Python, Go, Rust
curl -X POST https://api.verifex.dev/v1/screen \
-H "Authorization: Bearer vfx_..." \
-H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-d '{
"name": "Mehmet Yılmaz",
"type": "person",
"country": "TR"
}'{
"query": {
"name": "Mehmet Yılmaz",
"type": "person",
"country": "TR"
},
"screened_at": "2026-05-19T09:14:00.000Z",
"source": "MASAK_TF",
"match_score": 94.2,
"recommendation": "REVIEW",
"list_version": "v2026.05.19.0600",
"matching_engine_version": "v3.0.0",
"audit_id": "vfx_a_9f2b8c1e..."
}Published benchmark
Measured, not marketed.
We publish a transparent benchmark covering true positives, false positives, transliterations, aliases, and edge cases. You can inspect the methodology and reproduce the test.
500-case benchmark: 99.68% F1, 99.36% recall, 100% precision, verified May 17, 2026.. Self-administered benchmark. Results will vary on different datasets.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions.
Why do Turkish companies need a sanctions screening API?
Turkey has been on the FATF grey list since 2021 for strategic deficiencies in AML/CFT. This means Turkish businesses face heightened scrutiny from international banks, payment processors, and trade partners. Screening customers and counterparties against sanctions lists — including Turkey's own MASAK designations — is a practical requirement for maintaining correspondent banking relationships and export access.
Does Verifex include MASAK data?
Yes. Verifex screens against the MASAK TF designation list as one of 54 configured sources. MASAK (Mali Suçları Araştırma Kurulu) is Turkey's Financial Crimes Investigation Board. Its designation list is included alongside OFAC, UN, EU, UK, and other international sanctions feeds.
How does Verifex handle Turkish name transliterations?
Turkish names frequently appear in multiple Latin spellings across sanctions lists and customer data — for example, Mehmet, Muhammed, and Mohamed. Verifex uses a 10-penalty pipeline with fuzzy, phonetic, and contextual scoring designed to catch legitimate transliteration variants without inflating false positives. Every match returns per-field contribution scores so reviewers can inspect the reasoning.
Can I use Verifex for export compliance in Turkey?
Verifex screens exporter, importer, and logistics counterparty names against global sanctions lists. This supports export compliance workflows. Verifex does not determine whether a specific export is legally permitted — that remains your responsibility and may require legal or customs review.
What is the pricing for Turkish companies?
Verifex pricing is the same globally. The free tier includes 50 screens per month. Paid plans start at $49/month. All plans include the same API features and source coverage; differences are in volume limits, evidence retention, and support.
Related products
Explore the full platform.
Sanctions Screening API
Global sanctions and watchlist screening with structured confidence.
AML Screening
Full AML compliance for fintechs and payment processors.
OFAC Screening
SDN list checks updated every 6 hours.
Continuous Monitoring
Watch entities and get alerts on list changes.