Property
Title through the Land Registry with reciprocity limits for foreigners
The Civil Code governs ownership and the Land Registry Law provides for registration, which is constitutive of title. Foreign nationals may acquire real estate subject to reciprocity, area limits and military zone restrictions, and property acquisition above a threshold supports citizenship.
Key rules
- Jurisdiction — National. The General Directorate of Land Registry and Cadastre maintains the register.
Governing law
- Turkish Civil Code No. 4721 (2001) — ownership, mortgage, easements
- Land Registry Law No. 2644 (1934), as amended
- Condominium Law No. 634 (1965) — Kat Mülkiyeti
In practice
Registration in the Tapu creates the right; a notarised sale contract alone does not transfer ownership. Foreign individuals may own up to 30 hectares nationally and no more than 10 percent of the area of any district, and acquisitions in designated military and security zones require clearance, which is a genuine practical obstacle in some coastal areas. Condominium ownership under Law No. 634 governs apartment blocks and is the basis of most urban residential title. The Condominium and pre-sale regime, together with the 2012 urban renewal law on buildings at seismic risk, dominates development practice.