Turkish Title Deed (TAPU) Checklist for Foreign Buyers

A Turkish title deed, or TAPU, is central to any property purchase, but a copy of it is not a due diligence report. Before paying a deposit or the purchase price, confirm the current land registry record, the seller's authority, the exact property and any registered restrictions.

Source review: 10 September 2026, based on public information from the Republic of Türkiye Investment Office and the General Directorate of Land Registry and Cadastre (TKGM).

What is a Turkish title deed?

A title deed records registered information about a property and its ownership. The Investment Office states that property ownership in Turkey is acquired through registration at the relevant land registry directorate. A reservation form, private sales agreement or preliminary contract may create contractual obligations, but it does not make the buyer the registered owner.

The copy shown during marketing may be out of date, and the legal or financial position may have changed. Ask an independent lawyer to review a recent official registry record for the exact property rather than relying on a photo or PDF from a listing.

The TAPU checklist at a glance

How to read the main information on a TAPU

Layout and fields vary by document format and property type. Do not translate one field in isolation; reconcile the whole document with the current registry entry, cadastral information, municipal records and the property you inspected.

Location and cadastral identity

The province, district, neighbourhood, block and parcel should correspond to the property under consideration. TKGM's public Parcel Query service can show basic cadastral location, but the Investment Office notes that owner identity is not shown there. An online parcel view does not replace an authorised registry review.

Building and independent section

For an apartment or other separately registered unit, check the building or block, floor and independent section number. The door number, marketing reference and apartment you visited are not automatically the legal identifier. Ask your adviser to match the title, approved plan and physical unit.

Registered nature and land share

Compare the nitelik wording with your intended use. A space marketed as a home, office, shop, villa or land does not have that registered or approved use just because it is furnished or advertised that way. Arsa payı alone does not explain usable area, management charges, exclusive use of a garden or terrace, parking rights or control of common areas; each needs its own evidence.

Owner and ownership share

Confirm every registered owner and the share each holds. If the seller is a company, heir, guardian, attorney or other representative, verify identity and authority. Someone presenting the property, collecting a reservation payment or holding the keys is not necessarily authorised to sell it.

Do not rely on the colour of the title deed

Some older online guides classify title deeds as blue or red. Colour may reflect a format or category, but it does not show whether you are buying a whole parcel, a share or a specific independent section, whether the property is free of restrictions, or whether construction, occupancy and intended use are approved. Ask for the legal status in words, supported by the current record. Terms such as kat irtifakı, kat mülkiyeti, arsa or hisseli need a transaction-specific explanation.

Owner and authority to sell

Check owner details against current official records and valid identity documents. With several owners, establish who must take part or validly appoint a representative. For a company seller, review current corporate authority rather than a business card or an old signature circular.

A power of attorney must cover the intended transaction and be valid in form. The Investment Office's property acquisition guide explains that one issued abroad may require specific authority, certification, an apostille or consular formalities and a notarised Turkish translation, depending on where and how it was issued. Have it reviewed before the transfer appointment.

Mortgages, liens, annotations and other restrictions

The Investment Office advises checking burdens such as mortgages, liens and similar restrictions before starting the land registry procedure. A current review may cover mortgages, attachments, annotations, declarations, easements, usufruct rights, promises of sale and other entries. Ask the reviewing lawyer to explain in writing:

• What the entry is and in whose favour.
• Whether it prevents or conditions the transfer.
• Whether it will remain after transfer.
• What document and action are needed for release or consent.
• When the release will be registered relative to payment and transfer.
• Who bears the cost and risk.

Do not accept a verbal promise that a mortgage or attachment will be removed later; the agreement and completion sequence should deal with it explicitly.

Match the TAPU to the property you inspected

A correct owner name is not enough if the title refers to a different parcel or unit.

• Confirm the apartment you entered is the registered independent section.
• Compare floor, orientation, layout and boundaries with the plan.
• Clarify whether terraces, gardens, storage rooms and parking are registered, common, allocated by a management plan or only used in practice.
• Investigate enclosed balconies, joined rooms, extensions and other alterations.
• For a villa, identify the parcel, building footprint, access and claimed private outdoor areas.
• For land, verify zoning, access, utilities, boundaries and development conditions separately.

Photos, keys, a brochure and a map pin do not establish legal identity or exclusive rights.

Title status is not building approval

The title, construction permit, approved plans, occupancy information, registered use and physical condition answer different questions. Terms such as kat irtifakı and kat mülkiyeti need property-specific review; the title wording alone does not prove that the current layout is approved or that utilities, insurance and financing will be available as expected. An independent technical professional should inspect condition and alterations, and the lawyer and technical adviser should reconcile their findings.

Shared ownership and off-plan purchases

A share in a parcel is not automatically ownership of a specific apartment or villa. If the title shows shared ownership, ask how the area is legally identified, what use arrangement exists, whether other owners have rights relevant to a sale and what financing or resale limits may arise. An informal division or numbered door is not proof of exclusive ownership.

With off-plan purchases, you may sign before a completed unit is ready for transfer. The Investment Office states that preliminary real estate contracts do not transfer ownership. Before committing funds, review the developer's title and authority, parcel and project approvals, the planned unit, specifications, payment milestones, delivery conditions, remedies and the registration mechanism. Sample apartments and marketing plans are no substitute for registered, approved documents.

Documents for a foreign buyer's transfer

According to the official acquisition guide, land registry procedures may require property registry details, a passport or identity document, representation documents where applicable, municipal value information, compulsory earthquake insurance for buildings, photographs and a certified interpreter when a party does not speak Turkish. Translation and certification needs depend on the document and alphabet used.

TKGM published an announcement on compulsory earthquake insurance in sale transactions on 7 September 2026. Because practice can change, confirm the current insurance requirement with the responsible land registry directorate when the appointment file is prepared. Request one written document list for the named buyer and property, noting who obtains each item, its format, its validity and the date it was checked.

Before the land registry appointment

1. Finish due diligence Complete legal, technical and tax review before any non-refundable commitment.
2. Confirm the parties Check the final seller, buyer, property identity and agreed price.
3. Re-check the registry Review the latest registry entries close to completion.
4. Deal with restrictions Resolve or document the treatment of every relevant entry.
5. Approve the paperwork Agree the final contract, transfer declarations and payment schedule.
6. Confirm costs Check title deed fees and other completion costs using current official information.
7. Check documents Passport, tax number, translations, photographs, insurance and representation documents.
8. Arrange an interpreter Use a certified interpreter if required, not the seller's representative.
9. Verify bank details Confirm them through a separate trusted channel.
10. Set payment triggers Agree what evidence releases each payment.

For an overview of the whole process, see our buying process guide and buying costs guide.

Plan payment and registration together

Transfer of ownership and release of a large payment should not be treated as separate tasks. Before completion, get written advice on the safest lawful sequence for your transaction, including any suitable bank-supported controlled payment method. Confirm the recipient account, currency route, reference wording, proof of payment and what happens if the transfer cannot complete. A payment mechanism does not replace title, contract or technical checks.

At the transfer appointment

• Confirm the identity and authority of everyone acting.
• Make sure the parcel or independent section matches the reviewed file.
• Read and understand the transfer declarations before signing, using the certified interpreter.
• Confirm how agreed mortgages, annotations or other entries appear at completion.
• Follow the approved payment sequence and keep official receipts.
• Do not sign under time pressure if the final information differs from what was reviewed.

After the title transfer

Obtain evidence of the completed registration and check the owner and property details. Keep the title deed, receipts, payment evidence, translations, powers of attorney, insurance, contracts and legal and technical findings in one secure record. Then handle possession, keys, utilities, building management registration, insurance, municipal matters and any agreed handover work, and compare the completion statement with your original cost schedule.

Title deed red flags

• Only a cropped image or old copy of the title deed is provided.
• The owner name or share does not match the person selling.
• The apartment viewed does not match the independent section information.
• A garden, terrace, parking space or storage room is promised without supporting rights.
• The registered nature differs from the marketed use with no written analysis.
• A mortgage, attachment or annotation is dismissed without a release plan.
• A shared title is presented as exclusive ownership.
• You are told a preliminary agreement already makes you the owner.
• A declared transfer value is proposed without reference to the actual transaction and current rules.
• Funds are requested to an unrelated person's account or before agreed safeguards are in place.
• You are pressured to skip independent translation, legal review or technical inspection.

Frequently asked questions

When you have a shortlist, TFF can help gather the identifying information needed for a documented review. No property should be treated as cleared until independent professionals complete their checks.