01
The tapu
The title deed held at the land registry. It names the owner and pins the property down by province, district, neighbourhood and the ada and parsel numbers of the block and plot.
Property in Turkey · Tapu and iskan
Tapu and iskan in Turkey
Two documents decide whether a Turkish purchase is sound. Here is what each one records, and what to check before anything is paid.
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About this
The tapu and the iskan: what each document proves
What the tapu actually records
The tapu is the Turkish title deed, and the register that holds it is the land registry and cadastre, the Tapu ve Kadastro administration. The deed names the owner and describes the property through a chain of identifiers: the province, il, the district, ilce, the neighbourhood, mahalle, and then the ada and parsel numbers that identify the block and the plot within it. Those numbers are not decoration. They are the key to every other check, because with them the registry can be asked what is recorded against that specific property, including mortgages, liens and other encumbrances. A deed image with the identifiers obscured tells a buyer almost nothing.
Kat irtifaki and kat mulkiyeti
Two forms of tapu matter to a buyer, and both are legitimate. Kat irtifaki, the construction servitude, is issued while a building is under construction and records ownership of a defined unit in a project that is not yet finished. Kat mulkiyeti is full condominium ownership, issued once the completed building holds its habitation permit. They describe different stages of the same process rather than different grades of safety, so a deed marked kat irtifaki is not in itself a warning. The point that matters is the timing of the transition from one to the other, and that belongs in the purchase contract in plain terms.
The iskan and what it certifies
The iskan, the habitation permit, confirms that a completed building was finished in line with its licence and approved plans and may legally be occupied. It is also what allows utilities to be connected on ordinary subscriptions in the owner name rather than left on a temporary builder supply. A finished block that still lacks one raises a question rather than settling it. The application may simply be in progress with the municipality, or the building as built may depart from what was licensed, and those are very different situations for a buyer. The reason is what matters, and it can be established before any money is committed.
The checks before money moves
The list is short and concrete. The identifiers on the tapu should match the property that was viewed and the property described in the contract. The registry should show no undisclosed mortgage, lien or other encumbrance. The seller named on the deed should be the party signing, or should be represented by someone holding a proper power of attorney. The declared area should match the approved plans. In an apartment, ask the building management in writing whether any aidat arrears sit against the unit, because under Turkish condominium law that debt follows the flat rather than the departing owner. None of this is exotic, and sellers who have done it before expect to be asked.
01
Start here
Two documents decide whether the purchase is sound.
The tapu says who owns what, described precisely enough to be checked against the register. The iskan says the finished building may legally be occupied. Almost every question a buyer asks about safety resolves into one of those two, and both are answerable before a deposit rather than after.
Where to look
The documents, one at a time
02
Kat irtifaki and kat mulkiyeti
The two forms of deed a buyer meets: the construction servitude issued while a building is going up, and full condominium ownership once it is finished and permitted.
03
The iskan
The habitation permit for a completed building, confirming it may legally be lived in and that utilities can be connected on ordinary subscriptions.
Before a reservation
A render sells a mood. A tapu tells you what you own.
We gather the facts behind a property first, then say plainly what holds up, what needs answering and what is simply unknown at this stage.
Title and rights
What the tapu says, which form of ownership it is, and whether the registry shows anything undisclosed.
The building
Construction date against the building code, whether the iskan is in place, and the state of the block.
The real cost
Service charge, utilities, property tax and insurance, written out as a yearly figure.
Getting out
Who the next buyer would be, and how long a sale in this district usually takes.
Tapu and iskanTapu and iskanGet the document checklist
Your shortlist
A shortlist with the documents read first
Photographs do not show a deed. We set out what each property actually holds on paper, so the comparison is between two documented positions rather than two brochures.
- The tapu identifiers read against the property viewed and the contract signed
- Which form of deed the unit holds, and what the contract says about the conversion
- Iskan status, DASK earthquake cover and any aidat arrears attached to the flat
How we work
We would rather send four properties that fit than forty that do not.
The first conversation is about how the property will be used, not about what is available this week. Everything after that follows from the answer.
The brief
How many months a year you will be there, who else uses it, and what you will not compromise on.
The shortlist
A small number of properties in districts that match, with the trade-off in each spelled out.
The checks
Registry, permits, service charge history and the questions to put to the seller in writing.
The purchase
Tax number, bank account, valuation report and the Land Registry appointment, in order.
Checks before you buy
Eight things a property should survive
Title, permits, contract, building age, service charge, season, management and resale. We are not your lawyer; we make sure you arrive at one with the right questions.
The process
Four steps, and no rush at the start
- 01
Tell us the plan
Pick a messenger and leave a number. You may have a town in mind, or none at all.
- 02
A short conversation
Months of use, budget range, timing, and the things that would rule a property out.
- 03
The shortlist
A handful of options that fit, with what to compare and what to check on each.
- 04
The next step
Viewings, questions to the seller, and the paperwork in the right order.
Questions worth asking out loud
A property worth buying can take an awkward question.
Why this district?
Demand, season length, what is open in winter and what is being built nearby.
What does a year cost?
Service charge, utilities, tax and insurance, before anyone talks about yield.
What if plans change?
Use, letting and resale are worth discussing before a deposit, not after.
Who is the next buyer?
A property local buyers also want is a property you can sell.
Read next
FAQ
Before the first conversation
Is a kat irtifaki tapu safe to buy on?
It is a legitimate deed, not a lesser one. Kat irtifaki is the construction servitude, issued while a building is under construction, and it records your ownership of a defined unit in a project that is not yet complete. Kat mulkiyeti, full condominium ownership, replaces it once the finished building holds its habitation permit. The two describe stages rather than grades of security. What deserves attention is the transition: who applies for the conversion, on what trigger, and by when. That belongs in the purchase contract in writing rather than in a verbal assurance that it follows automatically.
The building is finished but has no iskan. Is that a problem?
It is a question to ask, not automatically a disaster, and the reason is the whole answer. Sometimes the application is simply still working its way through the municipality. Sometimes the building as constructed differs from the plans it was licensed against, which is a different matter and a harder one to resolve. Without an iskan, utility subscriptions may still be running on a temporary builder supply rather than in an owner name. Ask which situation applies, ask for the explanation in writing, and confirm it against the municipality rather than accepting a summary.
What else has to be in place besides the tapu?
Sales to foreign buyers require a valuation report from a state-regulated appraiser, and the land registry involves a sworn translator when the buyer does not speak Turkish. DASK, the compulsory earthquake insurance for residential property, is needed for utility connections and renewed yearly. A buyer who cannot attend in person may act through a notarised power of attorney. The fees and charges attached to all of this are set by tariff and change, so confirm the current figures against the official source rather than an older quote.
Can a foreigner buy an apartment in Turkey?
Yes. Citizens of most countries can own residential property in Turkey in their own name. The limits are geographic rather than personal: purchases are restricted inside designated military and security zones, and there is a cap on the share of land in any one district that foreign nationals may hold. Both are checked before a reservation, not after.
Tapu and iskan
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