After a sale, family transfer or investment income reaches your account, the bank may ask for contracts, supporting documents or an explanation. Even when the money is lawfully yours, a broad request can make it difficult to know what to provide. The key is to explain not only who sent the money, but the economic relationship that caused the payment.
In brief: A source-of-funds request does not by itself amount to a criminal allegation. The explanation should be supported by documents consistent with the amount, the parties and the actual course of the transaction. There is no single document list for every source of income.
Why does the bank request additional information?
Banks may request further information as part of customer due diligence and transaction monitoring obligations. A payment that is inconsistent with the customer’s known activity, multiple transfers from unrelated persons or an unclear international transfer may require additional review. This does not mean that every large payment is connected with criminal activity.
Identity information, the nature of the customer’s business, the purpose of a transaction and the way funds were acquired are different questions. Providing identification at account opening does not prevent later requests for transaction-specific information. Likewise, a request for documents does not necessarily mean that a suspicious transaction report has been filed.
Prepare a clear record before making an enquiry
Start with a short explanation of the transaction date, amount, parties and economic reason. Match each explanation to a contract, sale document, income record or payment receipt. For multiple transactions, use a numbered attachment list. State any undocumented part clearly and never create inaccurate supporting documents.
Which documents may be useful for different sources of funds?
For salary or professional income, payroll records, employment documents, invoices or service agreements may be relevant. For the sale of real estate or a vehicle, the official sale record, payment schedule and bank transfers should correspond with one another. In inheritance or gifts, documents showing the legal relationship and the payment flow become important.
For repayment of a loan, explain when the debt arose, how the money was originally advanced and how repayment occurred. Saying simply that “a friend sent it” does not explain the economic nature of the transaction. At the same time, an old contract that does not exist should never be fabricated merely to satisfy a request.
For crypto-related income, platform account statements, trading history, original funding records and, where relevant, on-chain transaction data may be considered together. A wallet-balance screenshot alone may not show when or from what source the assets were acquired.
How should the explanation be structured?
Prepare a short chronology: the event that generated the funds, the counterparty, the date, the amount and how the money reached your account. Match each material statement to a supporting document. If different documents show different currencies or amounts, explain the real reason, such as exchange rates, fees or instalments.
If a sale price arrived in three instalments, match the three transfers to the payment schedule rather than describing only the total amount. If the sender differs from the buyer named in the agreement, do not conceal the difference; explain why and provide any available authority or relationship document.
What if I do not have a formal document?
The absence of a particular document does not automatically make funds criminal proceeds, but it can make the explanation harder to verify. Ask the bank which aspect of which transaction requires further clarification rather than submitting an indiscriminate volume of documents.
Older bank records, correspondence, official registries and verifiable documents from the counterparty may provide alternative support. Their sufficiency depends on the facts. Personal data belonging to others should not be obtained or used unlawfully merely for the purpose of responding to the bank.
How should documents be submitted?
Verify through official channels that the request genuinely comes from the bank. Do not upload sensitive documents to a random link in a message. Use the bank’s secure submission method and keep a record of what was submitted and when. Internet-banking passwords and SMS authentication codes are not needed for a source-of-funds explanation.
Does providing documents guarantee that a restriction will be lifted?
No. The bank may consider the explanation insufficient or may be required to comply with a separate official measure. If a restriction continues, clarify in writing—so far as the bank is permitted to explain—what remains outstanding and the basis of the restriction. Where there is a transaction postponement or a judicial measure, merely providing documents to a branch may not be enough.
Frequently asked questions
Can the bank request documents for income on which tax has already been paid?
Yes. Tax records may be useful evidence, but the bank can separately assess the parties and the flow of funds. Tax compliance and customer due diligence are not the same process.
Does money from a family member require no explanation?
The family relationship does not by itself determine the legal nature of the transfer. Support, a gift, a loan and sale proceeds are different arrangements and the real reason should be stated.
DISCUSS YOUR CASE
Discuss your bank’s source-of-funds request
We can review the bank’s request, transaction history and source-of-funds documents to assess your options under Turkish law.
A brief summary and important dates are enough for an initial enquiry. Send documents only when requested by our lawyers, through the channel they specify. Do not share passwords, one-time codes or wallet keys.
Sources and legislation
Law No. 5549 on the Prevention of Laundering Proceeds of Crime
MASAK: Current legislation and crypto-asset regulations
Originally prepared on 8 September 2026. This article provides general information on Turkish law. Remedies and deadlines should be assessed against the documents and circumstances of each case. The image is illustrative.
Related reading
My Bank Account Was Restricted under Article 19/A
Bank Account Restricted After a P2P Crypto Sale
Related practice area: Financial Crime & MASAK.