Maturity of a debt

Under Turkish law, maturity (muacceliyet) is the point at which a debt becomes due and the creditor may demand performance. Before maturity the creditor has no enforceable claim: putting the debtor in default, charging interest and starting enforcement proceedings all presuppose a mature debt.

As a rule, every debt falls due upon its creation unless the parties agree otherwise. Where a term has been agreed, the debt matures when that term arrives. Acceleration clauses, common in loan and lease agreements, make the entire remaining debt due if an instalment is missed; their validity in consumer transactions is subject to additional statutory conditions.

Maturity also matters for prescription: the limitation period generally starts to run on the date the claim becomes due.