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 Anything
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.
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 +90 530 949 29 91.