What is a trustee (kayyım)? Is it 'kayyum' or 'kayyım'? How is it spelled according to the TDK?

The appointment of trustees to municipalities in Turkey is a situation frequently seen recently. The trustee appointments on the agenda have made the spelling of this word a subject of curiosity.

A trustee (kayyım) is a person appointed by a court according to the Turkish legal system for the purpose of managing the assets or activities of a person or institution.

The appointment of a trustee is generally done for the purpose of protecting assets or preventing irregularities. Such appointments come to the agenda especially in companies or organizations providing public services due to reasons such as mismanagement or corruption.

IS IT 'KAYYIM' OR 'KAYYUM'?

The spelling of the word, which is written as kayyim in Arabic and passed into Turkish as 'kayyum', has been updated by the TDK (Turkish Language Association). In order for the Arabic-origin word to be used without violating spelling rules, it must contain the "ı" sound in its second syllable.

According to the statement made by the TDK, the correct spelling of 'kayyım' is not with the letter 'u', but with the 'ı' sound. In other words, the correct spelling of the word is 'Kayyım'. In addition to this information, it should be remembered that the word 'kayyım' is a term specific to the field of law.

It can be said that the mentioned word means a person assigned for the purpose of performing a specific task or managing a specific asset.