Sanctions Screening API — Turkey
Sanctions screening built for Turkey's compliance reality.
Türkiye left the FATF grey list in June 2024, but international banks still apply enhanced due diligence to the region. MASAK maintains its own designations. Verifex screens against MASAK, OFAC, UN, and other international sources — with multi-script matching engineered for Turkish name transliterations. Free tier: 50 screens/month.
Türkiye's AML/CFT history still shapes bank due diligence
Türkiye was on the FATF grey list from October 2021 until the FATF removed it on 28 June 2024 (source: FATF). The period of heightened scrutiny from correspondent banks, payment processors, and trade finance providers left lasting due-diligence expectations. 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 history (2021–2024)
Türkiye left the FATF grey list in June 2024, but Turkish businesses still 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 (2021–2024)
Türkiye was on the FATF grey list from October 2021 until it was removed on 28 June 2024 (source: FATF). Enhanced due-diligence expectations from correspondent banks did not disappear overnight, so robust screening remains important 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. Configured global sources. Multi-script matching. Structured evidence. Integrate in minutes, not quarters.
Configured global sources
Including MASAK TF designations, OFAC SDN, UN Security Council, 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.
Internal benchmark
0 severe false positives across 5,000 adversarial negatives (95% CI ≤ 0.077%), 97.33% exact-name recall (95% CI 94.83–98.64%). Self-administered benchmark on the deployed engine, August 12, 2026.
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
Sub-second response time in real-world use. Batch up to 100 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 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,
"recommended_action": "review_if_policy_requires",
"list_version": "v2026.05.19.0600",
"matching_engine_version": "verifex-screening-v5.0",
"evidence_capsule_id": "9f2a4c7e1b3d5a8c"
}Internal 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.
Measured August 12, 2026 on the deployed engine: 0 severe false positives across 5,000 adversarial negatives, 97.33% exact-name recall. Self-administered, not an independent audit. Results will vary on different datasets.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions.
Why do Turkish companies need a sanctions screening API?
Türkiye was on the FATF grey list from October 2021 until the FATF removed it on 28 June 2024 after key AML/CFT reforms; it is no longer under increased monitoring (source: FATF, June 2024). Turkish businesses still face heightened due-diligence expectations 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 its configured sources. MASAK (Mali Suçları Araştırma Kurulu) is Turkey's Financial Crimes Investigation Board. Its designation list is included alongside OFAC, UN, 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 multi-stage matching across fuzzy, phonetic and contextual identity evidence 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.
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Get started
Start screening Turkish counterparties today.
50 free screens per month. No credit card. No sales calls. MASAK, OFAC, UN, and other international sources included from the first request.