Buying a property in Turkey is a lot easier and more straightforward than you might think.  You are able to purchase land and property in your own names if the properties are within the boundary of towns and cities.  You are not allowed to buy first-degree agricultural land, property or land bordering a historical or natural preserved site or near a military installation.

Before you agree to buy land it is always recommended that you check with the local council to determine whether the land is classified for residential building or whether it is green belt land, farm land etc. In Turkey all title deeds should be freehold, even for apartments with or without a shared swimming pool.

In order to obtain the freehold Title Deed for the property, an application needs to be submitted to the local land registry office.  In Turkey it is necessary for both the vendor and the purchaser  to be present to register the property.  However, they will accept a power of attorney for someone to act on your behalf in your absence, provided it is prepared legally by the Notary (Turkish form of conveyancer).

As with most European countries, there is a property purchase tax and Turkey is no exception.  At the time of the deed transfer the buyer will be asked to pay a property purchase tax of 3% of the total purchase price recorded on the deed.

As a general guide to some of the tax implications of owning a property in Turkey, you can expect to pay an annual council tax of 0.1% of the value of the property annually.  The local council collects this directly from the owner and in comparison to many other countries it is very reasonable.

If you sell your property within 5 years and the profit you make is more than the maximum limit, you  may have to pay capital gains tax.  If you sell after 5 years there is no tax involved.  All monies can be transferred out of Turkey very easily at any time.

Purchase Procedure

Once you have made your decision to go ahead with a property purchase Prime Properties will prepare a contract in English.  This will contain full details of all aspects and internal fittings for your property as agreed between both parties at the point of sale.  It will also specify the purchase price and the payment terms.  This should be signed by both vendor and purchaser, witnessed and dated.  At this point you will need to pay a deposit to secure the property which is usually non refundable.

It is normal in Turkey to buy your property without the use of a solicitor as they are expensive and do not provide the same legal protection you would expect in the UK.  Your contract is the only legal document you will need for your protection in any court of law in  Turkey.  However, if any purchaser feels the need to have a solicitor, we can recommend one to represent their interests.

For foreigners, when the property is being registered in their names, a background check will be done by the Land Registry office to check that the property is not near a historical or military site as previously mentioned.  This usually takes 2-3 months, but procedural changes in the process should allow this to be completed within a day including issuing of the Title Deed (TAPU). Like many countries In Turkey there is bureaucracy but we like to keep bureaucracy to a minimum!