Frequently Asked Questions

To sell a property at the land registry (tapu), the buyer and seller must present valid identity documents, the property’s compulsory earthquake insurance (DASK) policy, the declared property value certificate obtained from the municipality and, if the transaction is carried out by proxy, a power of attorney.

Title deed fees are charged on the declared sale price, plus a revolving fund fee (döner sermaye) set by the land registry. These fees are updated every year and may vary depending on the type of transaction.

Land registry offices in Turkey are not limited to the location of the property. The parties can therefore complete the sale at any land registry office they choose, wherever the property is.

The buyer and seller can complete the transaction at the same land registry, simultaneously at different land registry offices, or through a power of attorney. People living abroad can carry out transactions through Turkish consulates.

The revolving fund fee charged during title deed transactions is set according to the relevant legislation and tariffs. The fee may vary depending on the type of transaction.

A forced sale means that a debtor’s property is sold compulsorily by order of a court or enforcement office. In such sales, the title deed procedures are carried out according to the relevant enforcement or court letters. Registration is completed with the buyer’s identity details, the official documents relating to the sale decision and payment of the required fees.

For a donation (gift) transaction, the identity documents of the donor and recipient, the property’s DASK policy, the declared property value certificate from the municipality and, if applicable, a power of attorney are required. Title deed fees and the revolving fund fee are charged during the transaction. The fee rate for donations differs from that for sales.

To register inherited property in the heirs’ names, a certificate of inheritance (veraset ilamı) must first be obtained. With this certificate and the heirs’ identity details, an application is made through the Web Tapu system.

After reviewing the application, the land registry invites the heirs to sign. Once completed, the property is registered jointly in the heirs’ names. At this stage only ownership passes to the heirs; no sale or transfer takes place.

Inheritance transfers can be completed even if the inheritance and transfer tax has not yet been paid. However, at this stage no sale, donation or transfer can be carried out on the property.

The right to dispose of the property cannot be exercised until the tax debt has been paid in full.

To search for properties belonging to a deceased person, a certificate of inheritance must first be obtained. With this certificate you can apply to the land registry and find out whether any property is registered in that person’s name.

A mortgage on a property is not automatically deleted from the title deed record when the loan is repaid. A “mortgage release” (ipotek terkini) has to be carried out. Today most banks notify the land registry electronically that the debt has been closed; once this notification is made, the mortgage is deleted without the owner having to apply separately.

If the bank does not send an electronic notification, you should obtain an official letter from the bank confirming that the debt has been paid and apply to the land registry with it. After the necessary checks, the mortgage is removed from the register.

While the marriage continues, either spouse can apply to the land registry to have a family home annotation (aile konutu şerhi) registered on the property. This annotation prevents the property from being sold without the other spouse’s consent.

A family home annotation cannot be registered after the divorce has taken place.

Yes, a mortgaged property can be sold. In most cases the mortgage debt is paid off from the sale price and the mortgage is released. However, the parties may also agree on a different method.

“Takyidat” refers to all records that restrict the ownership of a property, such as mortgages, attachments and annotations. A copy of the title deed record and the encumbrance information can be obtained through the Web Tapu system. A fee or revolving fund charge may apply when obtaining these documents.

Joint ownership (elbirliği mülkiyeti) can be converted into shared ownership (müşterek mülkiyet) if all co-owners apply together or a court decision is obtained. As a result, each owner’s share is recorded separately on the title deed.

To establish construction servitude (kat irtifakı), an approved architectural project, a site plan, a building permit and the identity details of the owners are required. The application is made to the land registry with these documents.

Once the building is completed and the occupancy permit (iskan) has been obtained, it is converted to condominium ownership (kat mülkiyeti). If the necessary conditions are met, the conversion can also be done automatically.

Properties falling under the “2/B” category (former forest land) are not transferred by applying directly to the land registry. First, the relevant public authority (usually the Ministry of Environment, Urbanisation and Climate Change) completes the necessary procedures. Once the authority has identified the rightful owners and completed the sale process, it sends an official notification to the land registry, which then carries out the registration. An individual application by the citizen is usually not sufficient.

For a jointly owned plot to be divided into separate parcels, the property must comply with zoning legislation. If the zoning conditions allow it, a subdivision (ifraz) can be carried out. If it does not comply with the zoning plan, the shares cannot be physically separated and the co-ownership continues; the share then exists only as a ratio on the title deed.

Age alone does not prevent a title deed transaction. It is sufficient for the person to have the capacity to make decisions. If land registry officials have doubts, they may ask for a medical report.

For identity checks in title deed transactions, the old identity card, the Turkish ID card or a passport are accepted. A driving licence is not accepted as a valid identity document. You must therefore present valid ID on the day of the transaction.

Transactions can be carried out with a passport. However, if the passport details are written in a non-Latin script, the land registry may request a Turkish translation, which must be made by a sworn translator. Passports in the Latin alphabet usually do not require translation.

A power of attorney granted by an individual must include a photograph of the person granting it. This is mandatory so that identity can be verified reliably. No photograph is required for legal entities.

The practice of taking separate photographs of the parties during transactions at land registries has been abolished. If the power of attorney meets the necessary requirements, the seller does not need to provide a separate photograph.

A power of attorney loses its validity in cases such as the death, disappearance, loss of capacity or bankruptcy of the grantor or the attorney, the resignation of the attorney, revocation by the grantor or the expiry of its term. Once any of these occurs, no transaction can be made under it.

For new transactions at the same land registry, it may not be necessary to submit the previously presented power of attorney or inheritance certificate again. However, if the transaction is at a different land registry, the document must be presented again.

When a company’s trade name changes, the title deed records are updated to the new name by applying to the land registry with current authorisation documents obtained through MERSİS (Turkey’s central trade registry system).

To carry out transactions on properties belonging to foundations, an authorisation document issued by the Regional Directorate of Foundations (Vakıflar Bölge Müdürlüğü) is required. The transaction is carried out by presenting this document to the land registry.

For transactions on behalf of associations and unions, the authorisation document is issued by the district governorship or provincial governorship they are registered with. No title deed transaction can be made without it.

Some property records are old and may not be automatically matched with the e-Devlet (Turkey’s e-government portal) system. In that case, you need to submit a matching/declaration application through e-Devlet or Web Tapu.

Following a review by the land registry, the property record is updated and becomes visible in the system.

Such cases usually arise from similar names or technical matching errors. You can file an objection and correction request through Web Tapu.

If, after the necessary review, the land registry establishes that the property does not belong to the applicant, the record is removed from the system.

To correct a name error, you can apply through Web Tapu or the Alo 181 call centre. If the error was made by the authority, no fee is charged.

Web Tapu is the digital service platform of the General Directorate of Land Registry and Cadastre that lets citizens start title deed transactions online, track their applications and obtain certain documents electronically.

Through the Alo 181 line you can get information about land registry and cadastre procedures, book appointments, track the status of applications and submit opinions or complaints.

With MEGSİS you can view the location, boundaries and basic information of properties on a map digitally. The system is designed to provide visual location information.

Losing the title deed document does not end your ownership. The owner can obtain a new title deed by applying through the Web Tapu system or directly at the land registry.

Presenting your ID is enough, and only the revolving fund fee is charged.

Ottoman-era title documents cannot be used directly for transactions. Research is first carried out at the relevant land registry. If no record is found, an application is made to the Title Deed Archive Department (Tapu Arşiv Dairesi) for an examination of the archive records.

If the information obtained can be matched with existing records, a current title deed record can be created.

Compulsory earthquake insurance (DASK) is required for title deed transactions on properties with a building on them.

DASK is not compulsory for properties without a building, such as plots and fields.

The occupancy permit (iskan) and site plan are not issued by land registries. These documents are obtained from the municipality responsible for the property or other competent authorities. The land registry only checks them during the transaction.

The declared property value certificate (emlak beyan değeri belgesi) is valid only for the year in which it was issued. A certificate issued in the current year must be presented for title deed transactions; certificates from previous years are not accepted.

The owner of the property or the holder of the usufruct right is responsible for taking out compulsory earthquake insurance (DASK). The sale cannot be completed without a valid DASK policy.