Can I place a backorder for a .TR domain that is in the deletion process?

“.tr” extension domain names were managed for many years by NIC.TR under the authority of METU (Middle East Technical University). However, as of September 14, 2022, this responsibility was transferred to domain registrars under the supervision of BTK (Information and Communication Technologies Authority) through the TRABIS (TR Network Information System) infrastructure.

With this transition, there have been some significant changes in the registration and renewal processes of “.tr” domain names:

Registration Process: Domain names such as “com.tr”, “org.tr”, and “net.tr”, which previously required documentation for registration, can now be registered without documentation based on the “first come, first served” principle.

Renewal Process: If the renewal process is not completed by the end of the registration period, the domain name is suspended for two months (60 days).

Deletion Process: If no renewal request is made during the grace period, the domain name becomes available for reallocation. However, no applications are accepted for a period of one month (30 days) after it becomes available again.

One of the most frequently asked questions at this point is: Can a backorder be placed for a .tr domain in the deletion process? In other words, is it possible to grab a domain that belonged to someone else and is now about to become available?

What is Backorder?

Backorder is a service that aims to automatically register a domain name once it becomes available again after its registration period expires.

The system works as follows:

1. The domain name is not renewed and its registration expires.
2. It is held in a grace period for renewal.
3. A redemption period begins.
4. If the domain is not renewed during these phases, it becomes available.
5. At this point, the backorder system attempts to automatically register the domain.

Can I Place a Backorder for .TR Domains?

In .TR domain names, there is not yet a fully developed “drop” and “catch” system as seen in international domain infrastructures. However, with the implementation of TRABIS, the system has been modernized to some extent.

The situation is as follows:

• “.tr” domains are not immediately deleted upon expiration. Instead, their usage is suspended for a period of two months.
• During this suspension period, the domain can still be renewed by the current owner.
• If no renewal is made within this time, the domain becomes available for reallocation, but no applications are accepted for a period of one month.
• These domains are published in the list of domains available for reallocation for one month.

https://www.trabis.gov.tr/yenidenTahsiseAcilanAlanAdlari 

• After this one-month period, the domain becomes technically available for registration by anyone.

The TRABIS system does not yet have an advanced “drop catching” infrastructure like international backorder services. Therefore, there is no official backorder system. To acquire a domain you’re interested in:

• You should regularly monitor the list of domains that will be reallocated, published by TRABIS,
• And apply manually through a registrar (e.g., Atak Domain) as soon as the domain becomes available for registration.