Acquisition of immovable property in Türkiye by foreigners is possible, but not for everyone and not without limit. The law sets three restrictions: the buyer’s nationality, the area acquired and the location of the immovable property (Land Registry Law No. 2644, Art. 35). Immovable property acquired in breach of these restrictions is liquidated if the owner does not dispose of it within the prescribed period. Liquidation means that the immovable property is sold and converted into money, and the proceeds are paid to the person entitled; it is not confiscation.
A general explanation of these restrictions appears in the section for foreigners on the Tenancy and Real Estate Law page. This article explains the steps that a foreigner wishing to buy a flat or plot of land in Türkiye will take before and during the title deed transaction. The title deed is the official register showing ownership of immovable property in Türkiye, and the Turkish land registry directorate is the official office that maintains this register.
Acquisition of immovable property in Türkiye by foreigners: three restrictions and one exception
| Restriction | Rule | Legal basis |
|---|---|---|
| Nationality | Only citizens of countries determined by the President may acquire immovable property. The President may restrict, suspend or prohibit acquisition by region, period, type and amount. | Land Registry Law, Art. 35 |
| Area | The total area acquired by foreign natural persons in a district may not exceed ten per cent of the area subject to private ownership in that district. The total area acquired by one person may not exceed thirty hectares nationwide. | Land Registry Law, Art. 35 |
| Location | Foreigners may not acquire immovable property in second-degree military prohibited zones on land. The President may also impose a prohibition on regions designated for strategic reasons. | Law No. 2565, Art. 9/b, Art. 28 |
| Exception | Mavi Kart holders are not subject to the nationality and area restrictions. | Turkish Citizenship Law, Art. 28 |
The ten per cent restriction concerns the total area in the district, not the buyer’s individual acquisition: if the district limit has been reached, even a small flat cannot be acquired. For a foreigner buying immovable property in Alanya, this limit is likewise calculated on a district basis. The area calculation includes not only immovable property but also independent and permanent limited rights in rem. These are rights that can be registered in the title deed as a separate immovable property, such as a superficies right of at least thirty years (Turkish Civil Code, Art. 826, Art. 998).
The list of countries is not set out in the law but in a decision of the President, and it may change. The current text of the law does not require reciprocity; the decisive factor is this list. Eligibility to acquire property based on your nationality, as well as the position in the relevant district, should be confirmed with the Turkish land registry directorate where the immovable property is located before the transaction.
Mavi Kart is the card issued to persons who were Turkish citizens by birth and relinquished that citizenship with permission, and to their descendants up to the third degree. Except for the exceptions listed in the law, these persons enjoy the rights granted to Turkish citizens, and acquisition of immovable property is not among those exceptions (Turkish Citizenship Law, Art. 28). Provisions concerning national security remain applicable to them as well.
What should be checked in the title deed record before purchase?
Condition of the building. Condominium ownership may be established for a flat in a completed building. If the building is under construction, kat irtifakı (construction servitude over a building not yet completed) may have been established for the independent units. Kat irtifakı is a right established on the land for parts of a building that will later be subject to condominium ownership; it is converted into condominium ownership when a building use permit is obtained for the entire building (Condominium Ownership Law, Art. 2, Art. 3). In Türkiye, a building use permit is also known as iskân.
Security zone. This situation is entered in the land registry record of immovable properties in non-expropriated security zones. These immovable properties in military security zones cannot be sold to foreigners. The sale of immovable properties in special security zones to a foreign natural person is subject to the permission of the governorate; this permission is obtained before the sale is registered in the land registry (Regulation on Military Prohibited Zones and Security Zones Art. 23, Art. 24).
Military zone checks. Map and coordinate information for military prohibited zones, security zones and strategic zones is provided by the relevant ministries to the ministry to which the General Directorate of Land Registry and Cadastre is affiliated, and land registry transactions are carried out according to this information (Turkish Land Registry Law Art. 35). Until the information is transferred to digital media and reaches the Turkish land registry directorates, the competent military authorities are consulted (Turkish Land Registry Law provisional Art. 2).
Payment should not be made before these checks are carried out.
Purchase at the land registry: stages and documents
The sale of immovable property is carried out at the Turkish land registry directorate by an official deed. An official deed is the sale document drawn up by the land registry officer and signed by the parties (Turkish Land Registry Law Art. 26). A sale of immovable property and a promise of sale that are not made in official form are invalid (Turkish Code of Obligations Art. 237; Turkish Civil Code Art. 706). A reservation form signed in an office therefore does not transfer ownership. A promise of sale is an undertaking to transfer ownership in the land registry at a later date and is drawn up before a notary public (Turkish Notary Law Art. 89).
There are three requirements expressly set out in the legislation:
- Tax identification number. The tax identification numbers of the parties are written in the official deed together with their identity information (Turkish Land Registry Law Art. 26). A foreigner who does not have a tax number in Türkiye obtains this number from the tax office before the transaction in practice.
- Sworn interpreter. If one of the parties does not know Turkish, a sworn interpreter is present at the transaction. A sworn interpreter is an interpreter who submits to the Turkish land registry directorate the record showing that they took an oath before a court. They sign the official deed together with the parties. Employees of the Turkish land registry directorate may not act as interpreters (Land Registry Regulation Art. 24).
- Compulsory earthquake insurance. For dwellings and independent units, the Turkish land registry directorate cannot register the transaction unless valid compulsory earthquake insurance is documented on the transaction date (Turkish Disaster Insurance Law No. 6305 Art. 10, Art. 11). This insurance is provided by the Natural Disaster Insurance Institution (DASK) (Art. 3).
The other documents to be requested from the foreign buyer are determined by the General Directorate of Land Registry and Cadastre (Land Registry Regulation Art. 18). Whether documents such as a passport translation, photograph or valuation report are required depends on this administrative regulation and may change. The current list should be obtained from the Turkish land registry directorate before the transaction.
The transaction follows this order: the official deed is signed by the parties, together with the interpreter if necessary; the transaction is recorded in the daybook and registered in the land register with the same date (Land Registry Regulation Art. 23, Art. 27). In a purchase, ownership passes upon this registration (Turkish Civil Code Art. 705). Making payment, receiving the key or signing a contract does not alone transfer ownership. In inheritance, ownership is acquired before registration, but registration is still required for the sale (same article).
Even if one of the parties is a foreigner or the contract is signed abroad, ownership and other rights in rem over immovable property in Türkiye are subject to Turkish law. The form of transactions concerning these rights is also determined according to Turkish law (Turkish Private International Law and Procedural Law No. 5718 Art. 21).
Purchase without coming to Türkiye: power of attorney
The purchase may also be made through the buyer’s representative. The Turkish land registry directorate requires the representative to produce a power of attorney drawn up in accordance with the Turkish Notary Law and showing that they are authorised to carry out the requested transaction (Land Registry Regulation Art. 18). The text of a power of attorney requiring a transaction at the land registry must be prepared by the notary public in the form of a notarial deed (Turkish Notary Law Art. 89). Abroad, Turkish consulates perform this function in accordance with the Turkish Notary Law (Art. 191, Art. 192). If the grantor does not know Turkish, a sworn interpreter must also be present (Art. 74). Matters such as the purchase, payment of the price and signing of the official deed must be specified separately in the power of attorney.
Whether a power of attorney executed before a notary public in a foreign country may be used at the land registry is not expressly stated in the statute. Foreign official documents are treated as official documents in Türkiye if they are certified by the competent authority of the issuing state or by a Turkish consulate, without prejudice to international conventions to which Türkiye is a party (Turkish Code of Civil Procedure Art. 224). The General Directorate of Land Registry and Cadastre determines which documents will be accepted at the land registry. If such a power of attorney is to be used, the matter should be checked with the Turkish land registry directorate in advance.
The statute also provides that where the parties are before different Turkish land registry directorates or the overseas organisation, the contract may be completed by official officers taking each party’s declaration separately (Turkish Land Registry Law Art. 26).
If the Turkish land registry directorate refuses the application
A request that does not comply with the legislation is refused, with the grounds for refusal, the place for objection and the time limit being stated. The refusal decision is served by hand or in accordance with the Notification Law. Service is the official communication of the decision to you, and time limits run from that date. An objection to the decision may be made within fifteen days of service to the regional directorate to which the Turkish land registry directorate is subordinate; an objection to the regional directorate’s decision may likewise be made within fifteen days to the General Directorate of Land Registry and Cadastre. The transaction cannot be completed until the ground for refusal has been remedied (Land Registry Regulation Art. 26).
If you have bought a plot of land: submit a project within two years
An undeveloped immovable property is a plot or piece of land with no building on it. Foreign natural persons and foreign commercial companies that purchase such land must submit the project they intend to develop for the approval of the relevant Ministry within two years. The approved project, together with its commencement and completion periods, is recorded in the declarations section of the land registry record, and compliance within the period is monitored (Turkish Land Registry Law Art. 35). The declarations section is the part of the land registry record in which explanations relating to the immovable property are entered.
Failure to apply in time or failure to complete the project is a ground for liquidation. The statute does not separately state which ministry must receive the application or from which date the period runs; this information should be obtained from the Turkish land registry directorate immediately after the purchase.
Acquisition contrary to the rule: liquidation
The statute provides for liquidation in the following cases: acquisition contrary to the article, use contrary to the purpose of acquisition, failure to apply for the project in time, or failure to complete the project in time (Turkish Land Registry Law Art. 35). The Ministry of Finance gives the owner a period not exceeding one year. The owner may sell the immovable property within this period. If the owner does not sell it, the immovable property is liquidated and converted into money, and the proceeds are paid to the person entitled. The period does not begin automatically upon the breach; the Ministry sets the period.
Immovable property acquired by inheritance may also be subject to this provision: if the heir is a national of a country whose nationals are not permitted to acquire property, or if the applicable area limits are exceeded, the liquidation provision applies. An heir who complies with these limits may retain the immovable property. The position of foreign heirs is explained on the Inheritance Law page.
Foreign companies
Commercial companies established under their own laws in foreign countries may acquire immovable property only within the framework of special statutory provisions; foreign legal persons other than these may not acquire immovable property. These restrictions do not apply to the creation of a mortgage or other security over immovable property in favour of such companies and foreign natural persons (Turkish Land Registry Law art.35).
Companies established in Türkiye in which foreigners hold fifty per cent or more of the shares, or in which they may appoint more than half of the directors, may acquire immovable property for the purpose of carrying out the business activities stated in their articles of association. Acquisitions by such companies in military zones are subject to the permission of the military authorities, and acquisitions in special security zones are subject to the permission of the governor’s office (Turkish Land Registry Law art.36).
If a dispute arises, which court has jurisdiction?
Subject-matter jurisdiction. In disputes concerning immovable property, the court with subject-matter jurisdiction is, as a rule, the Civil Court of First Instance (Turkish Code of Civil Procedure art.2). This is the general first-instance civil court. If you purchased a dwelling from a construction company or from a seller acting for commercial purposes, for a purpose that is not commercial or professional, the transaction is a consumer transaction and the Consumer Court has jurisdiction (Consumer Protection Law No.6502 art.3, art.73). Before bringing an action in the Consumer Court, it is mandatory to apply for mediation. Disputes that qualify as consumer transactions and arise from the ownership of the immovable or from other rights recorded in the land registry are outside this mandatory requirement (art.73/A). Whether a person purchasing for investment purposes counts as a consumer is assessed in the light of the particular case.
Territorial jurisdiction. Actions concerning ownership of immovable property and other rights in rem over it, matters that may lead to a change in these rights, and possession may be brought only before the court of the place where the immovable is located. For such actions, no other court may be chosen by agreement (Turkish Code of Civil Procedure art.12, art.18). For example, an action for cancellation of the title deed and re-registration concerning a flat in Alanya is heard in Alanya. Actions relating only to a monetary claim, such as the refund of the purchase price, do not fall within this rule.
If a foreign court is designated as having jurisdiction in the contract, the result depends on the type of action. In practice, actions concerning ownership of immovable property are regarded as falling within the exclusive jurisdiction of the Turkish courts, so such a clause has no effect in those actions. In disputes concerning monetary claims, the validity of the clause depends on the conditions in the Turkish statute (Turkish Private International Law and Procedural Law Act art.40, art.47).
Frequently asked questions
Can every foreign national buy a house in Türkiye?
No. Acquisition is open to nationals of countries determined by the President and is subject to area and location limits (Turkish Land Registry Law art.35; Law No.2565 art.9/b). Blue Card holders are not subject to the nationality and area limits (Turkish Citizenship Law art.28).
I have paid the money; does ownership pass to me?
No. In a sale, ownership passes upon registration in the land registry (Turkish Civil Code art.705).
Does buying an immovable give me a residence permit?
It does not do so automatically. A short-term residence permit may be granted to a foreign national who has immovable property in Türkiye; the permit is not a right, and the dwelling must be used for that purpose (Foreigners and International Protection Law No.6458 art.31; Implementing Regulation of the Law art.28). Details are on the page residence permit in Türkiye for foreign nationals owning immovable property.
Can I become a Turkish citizen by buying immovable property?
Acquisition of immovable property for the amount and on the conditions specified in the regulation is, by a decision of the President, one of the ways of acquiring Turkish citizenship (Regulation on the Implementation of the Turkish Citizenship Law art.20). The conditions are on the page Turkish citizenship by investment.
Legal basis
Title Deed Law No. 2644 — Art. 26, Art. 35, Art. 36, provisional Art. 2 — mevzuat.gov.tr
Military Prohibited Zones and Security Zones Law No. 2565 — Art. 9, Art. 28 — mevzuat.gov.tr
Regulation on Military Prohibited Zones and Security Zones — Art. 23, Art. 24 — mevzuat.gov.tr
Turkish Citizenship Law No. 5901 — Art. 28 (Blue Card) — mevzuat.gov.tr
Land Registry Regulation — Art. 18, Art. 23, Art. 24, Art. 26, Art. 27 — mevzuat.gov.tr
Disaster Insurance Law No. 6305 — Art. 3, Art. 10, Art. 11 — mevzuat.gov.tr
Turkish Notary Law No. 1512 — Art. 74, Art. 89, Art. 191, Art. 192 — mevzuat.gov.tr
Turkish Civil Code No. 4721 — Art. 705, Art. 706, Art. 826, Art. 998 — mevzuat.gov.tr
Turkish Code of Obligations No. 6098 — Art. 237 — mevzuat.gov.tr
Condominium Ownership Law No. 634 — Art. 2, Art. 3 — mevzuat.gov.tr
Law on Private International Law and Procedural Law No. 5718 — Art. 21, Art. 40, Art. 47 — mevzuat.gov.tr
Consumer Protection Law No. 6502 — Art. 3, Art. 73, Art. 73/A — mevzuat.gov.tr
Turkish Code of Civil Procedure No. 6100 — Art. 2, Art. 12, Art. 18, Art. 224 — mevzuat.gov.tr
Law on Foreigners and International Protection No. 6458 — Art. 31 — mevzuat.gov.tr and its Implementing Regulation — Art. 28 — mevzuat.gov.tr
Regulation on the Implementation of the Turkish Citizenship Law — Art. 20 — mevzuat.gov.tr
Related pages
- Tenancy and Real Estate Law — parent page
- Action for cancellation of the title deed and re-registration
- Inheritance Law
- Residence permit in Türkiye for a foreign owner of immovable property
- Turkish citizenship by investment
This article is intended for general legal information purposes only and does not constitute a legal opinion. As the circumstances of each case vary, it is recommended that you obtain legal assistance from your attorney at law regarding your specific situation.