Updated
GL-T-07
01 / In 30 seconds
The short answer
- What it is
- The Turkish document of ownership of real estate
- Who issues it
- The state land registry directorate
- What it confirms
- That you are the owner of a specific property with the stated share
- What to check
- The type of title, encumbrances, whether the property matches the documents
- Why it is needed
- Without it the deal is not complete and the property is not yours
02 / In plain words
What Tapu means
A tapu is the Turkish document confirming ownership of real estate. Put simply: until the tapu is registered in your name in the land registry, you are not the owner, however detailed your contract with the seller. It is the entry in the state register, not a paper from the developer, that creates the right.
The document states the property, its characteristics, the owner and the share of ownership. The type of title matters here too: it shows exactly what belongs to you — a completed property, a share in a land plot or a unit under construction. The difference is fundamental, and buyers often find out about it only after signing the contract.
A separate subject is encumbrances and restrictions: the previous owner’s mortgage, seizures, litigation, a discrepancy between the actual property and what is recorded in the register. All of this is checked before payment, through an extract from the land registry, not on the word of the seller or agent. The check costs incomparably less than the disputes that may follow.
A case from practice
A buyer paid a deposit, and a check then revealed an outstanding mortgage of the previous owner on the property. The matter was resolved, but the deal was delayed. With a land registry extract checked first, all of this is visible before the money, not after.
When you will encounter a tapu
- Buying a home in Turkey
- Registering a property for citizenship by investment
- Checking a property before the deal
- Selling or gifting real estate
- Estate administration
- Evidencing ownership to a bank
03 / What it covers
What is checked in a tapu
Owner
- The owner’s full name
- The share of ownership
- Match with the passport
Property
- Address and cadastral data
- The type of title
- Area and use
Encumbrances
- Mortgage
- Seizures and restrictions
- Litigation
The deal
- The stated value
- Taxes and fees
- Settlement procedure
04 / How it works
How registration works
Checking the property and seller
A land registry extract
Signing and settlement
Registration in the land registry
Receiving the tapu in your name
05 / Key facts
What you need to know
01
The right arises from the entry in the land registry, not from the contract
02
The type of title determines exactly what you own
03
Encumbrances are visible only in the official extract
04
The property’s data must match its actual state
05
Investment programmes have separate requirements for the property
Common mistakes
- Relying on the seller’s word instead of a land registry extract
- Not checking the type of title before paying
- Paying before encumbrances are checked
- Not checking the actual property against the cadastral data
- Buying without an independent lawyer, only through the seller’s agent
06 / Expert advice
How to prepare in advance
Before any payments, an official extract from the land registry is ordered and checked: who the owner is, what type of title it is, whether there are encumbrances and disputes. It is checked separately that the physical property matches what is recorded. If the purchase is for an investment programme, the programme’s requirements for the property are confirmed in advance — they are sometimes stricter than usual.
What we do for you. When buying real estate we work with an independent lawyer on the buyer’s side, not with the seller’s agent: we check the title, encumbrances and the property’s compliance with your programme’s requirements before any money goes out.
Igor VentsHead of real estate, Title Deed and property checks
07 / Questions
Frequently asked questions
The Turkish document of ownership of real estate, issued by the state land registry directorate.
No. Ownership arises from registration in the land registry. A contract without an entry in the register does not make you the owner.
The type of title, the owner’s details, the property’s characteristics, encumbrances — mortgages, seizures, disputes — and whether the actual property matches the records.
No. Programmes have their own requirements on the type of property, its value and how it is registered. They are checked before the deal.
An independent lawyer on the buyer’s side. The seller’s agent is interested in the deal, not in protecting you.
After the land registry extract has been checked and the settlement arrangement agreed. Paying before the check is the most expensive mistake in such deals.
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