Step-by-step conveyancing and procedure stages

Initial assessment

You tell us about the property and your goals — a home, an investment, citizenship or residence. We confirm eligibility, flag any obvious red flags, and quote a transparent fixed fee before you commit to anything.

Title and legal due diligence

Before any money moves, we verify ownership at the Land Registry, search for mortgages, liens and annotations, check the iskan and zoning, and confirm the property is not in a restricted military or security zone.

Structuring and the contract

We draft or review a bilingual sale agreement that ties payments to verified milestones, fixes the handover date and remedies, and protects you under the Code of Obligations No. 6098.

Power of attorney, if remote

If you are buying from abroad, we prepare a narrow, single-purpose power of attorney — at a Turkish consulate or apostilled at home — so we can complete on your behalf without you travelling.

Pre-completion paperwork

We obtain your Turkish tax number, arrange bank routing, commission the valuation report where required, and set up DASK earthquake insurance ready for transfer day.

The tapu transfer

We attend the Land Registry with you or on your behalf, with a sworn translator present, confirm any mortgage is discharged, check the deed line by line, and register the property in your name.

After completion

We hand over your new tapu and a clear file, sort utilities and tax registration, and — where relevant — move straight into your citizenship or residence application or your rental setup.

Critical statutory deadlines and calendar windows

Time limits that shape a Turkish property purchase

3 months~~Validity of the SPK-licensed valuation report, mandatory for every sale where a foreigner is a party (page: FAQ "Do I need an SPK valuation report to buy?")~~

100 days~~Cap on stays per agreement for permitted short-term tourist rentals under Law No. 7464 (in force 1 January 2024)~~

1 year~~Persistent non-payment becomes a ground for the landlord to terminate only after two formal notices within one year (TBK arts. 347-352)~~

3 years~~Non-sale commitment annotated on the deed for the property route to Turkish citizenship under Law No. 5901 and its regulation~~

5 years~~Resale within five years (60 months) makes the gain taxable under the Income Tax Law; after five full years the gain is exempt~~

10 years~~Only after the 10-year extension period may a residential landlord terminate without cause, on notice (TBK arts. 347-352)~~

Before you pay anything: what to have in hand

None of this is a promise about the outcome of a purchase - it is the practical list a foreign buyer works through, ideally before a deposit is agreed rather than after.

Ask for the full details on the tapu and have ownership verified independently at the Land Registry - that the seller named on the deed is the real, current, sole owner, with capacity and authority to sell, including any spousal or co-owner consent.
Have the title checked for mortgages (ipotek), attachments (haciz), injunctions and annotations (şerh), plus outstanding property tax, utility arrears and building management dues (aidat) that can follow the asset to you.
Check the iskan (occupancy permit) and the zoning / imar status, and ask about unauthorised extensions or converted uses, so a "residential flat" is not built on restricted land or outside its approved project.
Confirm before committing that your nationality is currently permitted to acquire this specific property, that the 30-hectare cap is not in play, and that the property is not in a military forbidden or special security zone.
Get a bilingual sale agreement in place that ties each payment to a verified legal milestone, fixes the handover date, allocates the costs and spells out the remedies if either side defaults.
If you are buying remotely, arrange a narrow, single-purpose power of attorney in notarial form - Turkish notary, Turkish consulate, or local notary plus apostille and sworn Turkish translation - and read exactly what each clause allows.
Line up the pre-completion items: Turkish tax number, a Turkish bank account and the DAB conversion certificate if you are paying in foreign currency, the SPK valuation report, the DASK policy, your passport and photographs, and a sworn translator for the registry appointment.

Governing statutory provisions under Turkish law

2644~~LAW NO.~~

Land Registry Law (Tapu Kanunu) · art. 35

Governs acquisition of real estate by foreign nationals - the permitted-country basis after Law No. 6302 of 2012 abolished reciprocity, the 30-hectare individual cap and the 10% district limit.

4721~~LAW NO.~~

Turkish Civil Code (Türk Medeni Kanunu) · art. 706

Requires the sale and transfer of immovable property to be made in official form before the Land Registry, so ownership passes on registration rather than on contract or payment.

6098~~LAW NO.~~

Turkish Code of Obligations (Türk Borçlar Kanunu) · arts. 117-126, 219 et seq., 344, 347-352

Governs the sale contract behind the deed, the buyer's remedies for late or defective performance, and residential leases including the TÜFE-linked rent cap and the landlord's limited grounds for termination.

Turkish Property Purchase: Stages, Deadlines & Position Assessment