Buying Property in Turkey

Buying property in Turkey is very straightforward. However unwary buyers can still be caught out. Follow these steps to ensure the experience is as smooth and stress free as possible:

The Purchasing Process

Once you have decided to buy, have a solicitor check that the seller actually owns the property or has the right to sell it. Make sure that the property is constructed in accordance with the relevant building regulations and that planning permission was granted.

If you are buying land, check that it has a valid title deed (tapu) without debt or any other restrictive rights attached. Also make sure that you will be able to obtain building permission. For example: if the land is categorized as forest or as a historic site, you may not be allowed to build at all, or only with many restrictions.

As a foreigner you have to apply for military permission to buy a specific property. The military checks for criminal records or terrorist activities; it also checks that the property is not located in a militarily sensitive or strategically important area. Due to the number of foreigners buying there is a backlog and these checks currently take up to 4-5 months.

During the waiting period it has become common practice to pay a holding deposit of 10-15% and to include a clause in the contract that covers the case where military approval is not granted. This is however a very rare event and the military approval can almost be considered a formality.

Once the military approval has come through, the actual sale is conducted in front of a land registry official, where the seller agrees for the buyer to receive a title deed in his or her name. The title deed is issued and handed over on the same day and the sale is complete. If the buyer cannot be at the registry office in person, power of attorney can be given to a trusted person to act on his or her behalf. This is often the construction company or a lawyer in Turkey.