Last updated: 2 November 2026 · Legal review: Av. Gökhan Vural, İzmir Bar Association (Reg. No. 15813)
A property lawyer in Turkey starts from one fact: buying property in Turkey is a registry transaction, not a contract transaction. Ownership passes when the transfer is registered at the Land Registry under Land Registry Law No. 2644, not when you sign an agreement with a seller or a developer, and not when you pay. Almost every serious property problem we are asked to fix began with someone treating a signed paper as though it were a title.
Due Diligence Before You Pay: What a Property Lawyer in Turkey Checks
A title deed record carries more than the owner’s name. It shows mortgages, attachments, easements, annotations and restrictions that survive the sale. Beyond the registry, the property itself has to be checked: whether it has a building permit and an occupancy permit, whether what was built matches what was approved under Zoning Law No. 3194, whether the land has a status that limits acquisition by foreign nationals, and whether it sits within a protected zone such as forest land or a designated heritage site.
These are not formalities. A property marketed as a straightforward investment can turn out to be unauthorised construction, or to carry an occupancy certificate that was never actually issued. Where the property is intended to support a citizenship by investment application, defects of this kind can mean both a refused application and an asset that cannot be resold at the price paid.
Powers of Attorney and Buying From Abroad
Many foreign buyers complete the transfer through a power of attorney granted to someone in Turkey. A power of attorney drafted too widely hands over more authority than the buyer intended, sometimes including the power to sell, mortgage or accept liabilities on their behalf. We prepare powers of attorney limited to the transaction actually agreed, and we explain precisely what the document permits before it is signed at a notary or consulate.
Title Deed and Zoning Disputes
Where ownership is already contested, whether through conflicting registry records, inheritance claims, a cancelled allocation or a municipal zoning decision that changes what may be built, speed matters more than almost anything else. A disputed property can be transferred, encumbered or altered while proceedings are pending. Securing an interim injunction early is often the difference between arguing about a property you still own and arguing about compensation for one you do not.
What Ownership Brings With It
Ownership carries obligations that catch buyers out: annual real estate tax under Real Estate Tax Law No. 1319, declarations if the property is let, and the management arrangements that come with a building. If you intend to let the property, both the lease and the resulting income need to be handled properly. See our pages on rental and tenancy law and tax for foreigners. If the property is meant to support your stay in Turkey, it also interacts with your residence permit.
What We Do
We run pre-purchase due diligence on the registry record and the building’s legal status, draft and review preliminary and final sale contracts, prepare limited powers of attorney, attend the transfer, and litigate title deed cancellation, registration and zoning disputes before the Turkish courts, including applications for interim measures where a property is at risk.
Buying Property in İzmir as a Foreigner
Most of our foreign buyers in İzmir buy in Karşıyaka, Çiğli and Bornova, and we also act for the many foreigners settled in Kuşadası. For a purchase in İzmir, our office in Konak:
- checks the title, encumbrances and zoning before you commit;
- coordinates with your estate agent on the contract, price and timetable;
- prepares the power of attorney when you buy from abroad;
- attends the land registry transfer with you or on your behalf;
- files your residence permit application after the purchase.
We act only for the buyer and take no commission from estate agents, developers or sellers. To have an İzmir property checked before you pay, contact our İzmir office.
Inheriting Property in İzmir
When a relative dies owning a flat in İzmir, Turkish law decides who inherits it, whatever the deceased’s nationality. Foreign heirs generally obtain the certificate of inheritance (veraset ilamı) from the civil court of peace, because notaries cannot issue it where foreign nationals are involved. A certificate issued abroad cannot be used at the land registry until a Turkish court recognises it.
Heirs living abroad usually do not need to travel. Under a power of attorney, we check the title records, obtain the certificate, help file the inheritance tax declaration on time, and register the property in the heirs’ names or manage a sale. Send the death certificate and the title details to an İzmir lawyer at our office.
Need Your Documents Translated?
A buyer who does not speak Turkish needs a sworn translator at the land registry transfer, and a power of attorney signed abroad usually needs an apostille and a sworn Turkish translation. Our office provides notary-authorized English–Turkish sworn translation and handles the apostille process, so your documents are accepted the first time. See our sworn translator in Turkey service.
Speak to a Property Lawyer in Turkey
Send us the parcel details or the title deed record before you transfer money, not after. Contact our office or call +90 533 301 52 23.