You can purchase real estate in towns and villages in your own name as a foreigner.

You cannot buy property in military zones and security areas. The law states that you cannot buy property if it is located within a particular distance of military sites or strategically important areas. Many places along the coastline are covered by this law. It is therefore essential to check with the military authority to see if the property is affected by these restrictions.

Firstly you have to apply to the local Land Registry Office who will carry out the necessary searches and checks after which they will transfer the title to the new owner. A solicitor is not required in Turkey as the Land Registry Office and the Notary Office performs these duties, however you may wish to use the services of a solicitor for your own peace of mind. We can recommend good bi-lingual solicitors to you. Buyer and seller must both go to the Land Registry Office and sign in person. (It is possible for a third party to buy the property by Power of Attorney which must be notorized). The land registry office then issues a Tapu (deed) as proof of ownership to the buyer.

The entry in the land register must be checked very carefully before purchase to make sure the seller is legally entitled to sell. Someone who obtains property by inheritance, execution of debts, or judicial decision actually becomes the legal owner before the ownership title is transferred in the land register. Therefore the registry may not reflect who the legal owner actually is. The seller may also have an obsolete proof of ownership.

If you are buying a property that is not yet constructed there are three parties involved, the buyer, the developer and the owner of the land. The property developer needs to show that there is an agreement between the owner of the land and his company, on which it states that the owner of the land gives permission to build houses on his land. Since the house has not be built yet, no entry is in the land register and purchase cannot take place yet.

The ownership of the building can only be obtained when the house is completed. As the developer must be sure that the buyer will pay the purchase amount, a rental agreement is made in which it is specified that the buyer will pay at intervals depending on the progress of the construction. Once it is finished the full purchase amount has been paid and then the entry is made in the land registry that the property exists and then ownership is registered to the buyer.

The danger here is that the construction company goes bankrupt, or cannot complete construction, the rental agreement you have is then worthless. Therefore we strongly advise having additional security.

When you buy a property here, there is 1.65% stamp tax, to be paid by both buyer and seller. The seller will very often insist that the buyer pays his half of the stamp tax. This of course is negotiable before the contracts are signed.

There is also an annual property tax, collected by the municipalities (i.e. local governments) at the rate of 0.33 per cent for private buildings. All properties are subject to revaluation for every five years for tax purposes. The acquired property may be resold or rented out and the proceeds may be transferred out of Turkey. Different regulations apply when a property is purchased for business related purposes.

You cannot live in Turkey if you have a criminal record for a serious offence.

Property can be bought very quickly here but regulations can also change very quickly and we strongly recommend that you use our valuable assistance in purchasing property, as our objective and professional bi-lingual staff can guide you through the mine field and avoid great distress and disappointment.