The UNIDROIT principles as applicable law to the international commercial contracts

The global commercial activity expands and a new global law culture shaped by the global economic markets develops. A part of this new law culture is the unification of substantial law in the field of international commercial law. Various international (a-national) sources of law are presented to the usage of the international merchants.One of the best examples of these unified international sources of law is the Unidroit Principles. The application of different laws to the international commercial disputes causes uncertainty and suprises for the parties. The application of a unified and pre-determined rules such as the Unidroit Principles prevents such disadvantage and a neutral law may be applied to the resolution of the disputes.This study comprises of three chapters. The concept of ?international commercial contract? has been explained and some examples to the efforts of unification of substantial law have been outlined in the first chapter.The content of the Unidroit Principles has been explained in general in the second chapter. These general explanations are limited with the issues provided by the Principles.In the third chapter, the application of the Unidroit Principles to the disputes arising out of international commercial contracts in the cases of choice of Unidroit Principles as the applicable law to their contract by the parties, the inclusion of Unidroit Principles to the contracts by way of incorporation, choice of lex mercatoria or the general principles of law as the applicable law to their contract by the parties and the case when there is no choice of law by the parties have been explained. These explanations are separate for international arbitration and domestic courts.The Principles are being used in international commercial law, especially in the field of international arbitration, and the opponents of expansion of its usage are increasing in the international doctrine. The main objective of this study is not to fall beyond these developments and to introduce the Unidroit Principles to Turkish merchants and lawyers. The application of the Principles as the law applicable to contracts in Turkish law has been reviewed in this study and widening of their application in the resolution of international commercial disputes has been supported.