.tr is the country-code top-level domain (ccTLD) of Türkiye. For businesses targeting Turkish customers, a .tr address signals a local presence, which builds trust with users and gives search engines a clear geographic signal. The .tr namespace went through big changes in recent years, so older guides are often out of date.
Who runs .tr
Since September 2022, .tr domains have been managed by TRABİS, the registry system operated by Türkiye’s Information and Communication Technologies Authority (BTK). Before that, the registry was run by Middle East Technical University (METU) under “nic.tr”. With TRABİS:
- registrations go through accredited registrars, not the registry directly;
- many extensions became easier to register, with identity verification instead of paperwork;
- direct second-level registrations (
example.tr) were introduced, with priority given to existing holders of matching names.
Rules change from time to time, so confirm current requirements with an accredited registrar before registering.
Common .tr extensions
| Extension | Intended for |
|---|---|
| .tr | General use (second-level, e.g. brand.tr) |
| .com.tr | Commercial organizations; the most recognized Turkish business extension |
| .net.tr | Network and internet service providers |
| .org.tr | Non-profit organizations |
| .biz.tr, .info.tr, .web.tr, .gen.tr | Businesses, information sites, web projects, general/personal use |
| .name.tr | Individuals |
| .av.tr, .dr.tr | Lawyers, doctors (professional proof required) |
| .edu.tr, .k12.tr | Universities and schools |
| .gov.tr, .bel.tr, .pol.tr | Government, municipalities, police |
Restricted extensions (education, government, professions) still require documents proving eligibility.
Who can register?
Requirements depend on the extension and on whether you’re a Turkish citizen, resident or company. In general:
- general extensions can be registered by individuals and organizations after identity verification through the registrar;
- trademark or company documents may be needed to claim names in certain categories, or during priority periods;
- foreign companies may face additional requirements for some extensions. Many registrars offer local presence or document support.
Always register the domain in your own (or your company’s) name, not a reseller’s or developer’s.
.tr or .com?
| Goal | Better choice |
|---|---|
| Customers mostly in Türkiye | .com.tr or .tr |
| International brand with a Turkish section | .com with /tr/ subdirectory, plus hreflang |
| Protect your brand in Türkiye | Register the .tr / .com.tr versions and redirect them |
A ccTLD tells Google the site targets Türkiye. That’s ideal for a local business, and limiting for a site that wants global rankings. For multilingual international sites, a generic domain with language subdirectories is usually more flexible. See the hreflang guide.
SEO for the Turkish market
- Write content natively in Turkish, not just machine-translated, and research Turkish keywords (search behaviour differs from English).
- Use Turkish characters correctly in content (ç, ğ, ı, İ, ö, ş, ü). In URLs, many sites transliterate them to ASCII for readability. See SEO-friendly URLs.
- Google dominates search in Türkiye; Yandex has a small share. Set up Google Search Console for the property. See Google Search Console setup.
- Earn links from Turkish sites and directories relevant to your industry.
Hosting a Turkish website
Users in Türkiye are well served from European hosting locations, and global CDNs have points of presence in Istanbul. Choose hosting close to your audience, and put a CDN in front for static content and resilience. See choosing a VPS location and CDN for websites.
Be aware of local regulations: Turkish law can require some content removals, and certain international services have been blocked at times. Consult local counsel for regulated industries, payments or user-generated content.
After registering
- Point DNS at your server (A/AAAA records) and set up email records (MX, SPF, DKIM, DMARC). See DNS records explained and pointing a domain to a VPS.
- Enable HTTPS. See Let’s Encrypt with Certbot.
- Turn on auto-renew and registrar lock, and keep contact details current, since verification emails matter.
- If you also own the .com, decide which is canonical, and 301 the other. See 301 vs 302 redirects.
Quick reference
| Topic | Key point |
|---|---|
| Registry | TRABİS (BTK), since 2022 |
| Where to register | Accredited registrars |
| Most common for business | .com.tr, and now .tr |
| Restricted | .edu.tr, .gov.tr, .av.tr, .dr.tr, etc. |
| SEO effect | Strong Türkiye targeting |
Related: choosing a domain name and does domain age matter.