Tapu Guide Turkey (2026):
Turkish Title Deed Explained

A tapu (formally tapu senedi) is the official Turkish title deed — the legal document proving ownership of a property or land. It is issued and managed by the Tapu ve Kadastro Genel Müdürlüğü (TKGM — Land Registry and Cadastre Directorate). The tapu contains the owner's name, the property's legal description, parcel number (ada/parsel), floor and unit number, share of the building (if applicable), and the type of ownership. Holding the tapu is the definitive proof of property ownership in Turkey.

The historical distinction: the "blue tapu" (mavi tapu) referred to older tapu documents issued for land (arazi/arsa), while the "red tapu" (kırmızı tapu) referred to units within a building (kat mülkiyeti — condominium ownership). This colour distinction relates to older paper-based tapu formats. Since the transition to digital e-tapu and standardised green-and-white documents, the colour distinction has become less meaningful, but the underlying legal distinction — land title vs condominium unit title — remains critically important for buyers.

Kat mülkiyeti (condominium ownership) is the title deed type for an individual unit within a multi-floor building. It confirms: (1) the specific unit has been legally defined and separated from others in the building, (2) the building has received its habitation certificate (iskan belgesi), and (3) the unit carries a defined share of the total building. This is the most secure title type for apartment buyers. Kat irtifakı (construction servitude) is an earlier stage — it exists before the building is completed and iskan is issued, and indicates the unit is legally defined but the building may not yet be fully permitted.

Kat irtifakı (construction servitude) is a tapu type issued during construction, before the building has its habitation certificate (iskan). It confirms the legal definition of individual units but does not confirm the building is complete or legally compliant. The risk: if the building never receives iskan (due to permit violations or construction issues), the kat irtifakı cannot be upgraded to kat mülkiyeti. Some buildings in Turkey have been stuck in kat irtifakı for years or decades. This affects mortgage eligibility, resale ability, and your right to register at the address officially.

Key fields on a Turkish tapu: İl/İlçe/Köy-Mahalle (Province/District/Neighbourhood), Ada (block number), Parsel (parcel number), Niteliği (property nature — e.g., apartment, land), Yüzölçümü (area in m²), Kat/Bağımsız Bölüm No (floor/unit number), Arsa Payı (share of land/building), Cins (type), Edinme Sebebi (transfer reason — e.g., satış = sale), Tescil Tarihi (registration date), and the owner's name and ID number. The tapu's parcel reference matches the cadastral maps held by TKGM.

Partially. TKGM's free Parsel Sorgu tool (parselsorgu.tkgm.gov.tr) lets anyone look up a parcel's administrative location, area, and general characteristics using the ada/parsel reference or an address — but for privacy reasons it does not display the current owner's name or any encumbrances. To see who legally owns a property and whether it carries a mortgage, seizure order, or other annotation, you (as the owner) or your authorised lawyer must request a Tapu Kaydı (registry record) or Takyidat Belgesi (encumbrance certificate) through Web Tapu, e-Devlet, or in person at the land registry.

Concerning annotations on a tapu: (1) İpotek — mortgage. The property is security for a loan. Must be discharged before clean transfer. (2) Haciz — court seizure order. Property is subject to a debt enforcement action. Transfer may be blocked. (3) Tedbir — court injunction. Prevents transfer until legal proceedings are resolved. (4) Önalım hakkı — pre-emption right. Another party (often other building owners) has a right of first refusal. (5) Şufa hakkı — similar right. (6) Taşınmaz satış vaadi — a prior sales promise registered against the property. All annotations should be reviewed and understood before purchase.

The e-tapu (elektronik tapu) system is Turkey's digital land registry platform, managed by TKGM. It covers online appointment booking for title deed transfers (via randevu.tkgm.gov.tr), Web Tapu for certain document requests without a branch visit, and digital tapu certificates. Foreign buyers can use these online services to prepare, but the final transfer signing still requires the buyer (or an authorised representative under a notarised power of attorney) to attend the land registry directorate in person, alongside a sworn translator if needed.

The tapu harcı is 4% of the property's taxable value, calculated on whichever is higher: the price the buyer and seller declare, or the municipality's minimum assessed value (rayiç bedel / asgari vergi değeri) for that parcel — the land registry will not accept a declared price below this floor. By law the 4% is split 2% buyer / 2% seller, but market convention in most Turkish sales shifts the full 4% onto the buyer unless the contract says otherwise, so get this agreed in writing before signing.

Not for a standard purchase. Circular 2024/4 from TKGM, effective 13 June 2024, removed the blanket requirement (in force since March 2019) for foreign buyers to obtain an SPK-licensed valuation report before title deed transfer. A report is still required in two specific cases: Turkish citizenship by investment (property must be independently confirmed at or above the $400,000 threshold via a GEDAŞ-issued TTB) and any mortgage from a Turkish bank, which always commissions its own appraisal. A short-term residence permit obtained on the basis of property ownership does not need a valuation report either — since 16 October 2023 that route is confirmed from the sale price recorded on the tapu itself, which must reach at least $200,000.

Yes, two limits apply to foreign individuals (not to Turkish companies, even those with foreign shareholders, which follow separate rules): a nationwide cap of 30 hectares per person, and a rule that foreign nationals collectively cannot hold more than 10% of the total private land area within any single district (ilçe). Neither limit affects the vast majority of ordinary apartment or villa buyers — it mainly matters for large land acquisitions. Property inside designated military or security zones is also off-limits to foreign buyers; this is checked automatically during the transfer process.

İskan (habitation certificate, also called yapı kullanma izin belgesi) is issued by the municipality once a building is confirmed to comply with its approved construction permit and is safe to occupy. A completed building with iskan can register its units as kat mülkiyeti — the secure, final title type. Without iskan, units remain at kat irtifakı stage indefinitely. Always ask the seller or developer directly whether iskan has been obtained, and verify it independently rather than relying on a verbal assurance.

Yes, and it is common for new-build and off-plan purchases, since kat irtifakı is the normal title stage during construction. The key is due diligence on the developer: check their track record, confirm the building permit (yapı ruhsatı) is valid and matches what is being built, and get contractual protection (such as a completion date and penalty clause) for the conversion to kat mülkiyeti once iskan is granted. Buying kat irtifakı from a first-time or financially unstable developer carries meaningfully higher risk than buying a completed kat mülkiyeti unit.

No. Owning a tapu, by itself, grants no automatic residence or citizenship rights — it is simply proof of property ownership. Property ownership can support a short-term residence permit application (since October 2023, the property must be independently valued at $200,000 or more) or Turkish citizenship by investment (property value of $400,000 or more, held for at least three years), but both routes require a separate application with their own document and valuation requirements on top of the tapu itself.

If you cannot attend the land registry appointment yourself, a notarised power of attorney (vekaletname) — issued at a Turkish consulate abroad or a notary in Turkey, and including your photograph — allows a representative (commonly your lawyer) to sign the transfer on your behalf. The tapu is still registered in your name as the buyer; the power of attorney only authorises someone else to complete the signing steps. Make sure the POA is drafted specifically for the property transaction, including the parcel details, to avoid it being rejected at the registry desk.