When someone wants to buy property in Turkey, they inevitably start hearing about tapu, a word that seemingly accompanies every single matter related to obtaining citizenship, applying for residence, and buying a villa or an apartment. Below is a comprehensive description of the document and its significance for home buyers.
What is a Tapu?
Tapu is a title deed in Turkey. It is a confirmation of full and absolute ownership of a property. It is the document you need to obtain when purchasing any type of dwelling in the Turkish real estate market.
Tapu, generally, comes in two main forms:
This difference is extremely important and should be acknowledged by any potential buyer of property in Turkey. Since Red Tapu can be issued only when a property enters the mayor’s records, some developers may sell their projects with a Blue Tapu, although it is considered less convenient for buyers as reselling in the future can be challenging and more complicated.
The Red Tapu is also significant as it comes with Iskan, or a certificate, which carries information about the operational limit of the building.
Note that title deeds in Turkey differ depending on the type of ownership:
Shared deeds are issued in cases when property is owned by multiple co-owners (transitional ownership).
Easement bonds are issued when a developer needs approval for the construction of a property on an allocated plot. The finished project is then divided into separate sections each independently owned.
Kat Mulkiyeti is the full ownership title deed in Turkey issued only after the construction process is completed and the property enters the official records.
The last option is the best when applying for Turkish citizenship by investment as the process requires the confirmation of property purchase.
Tapu terminology: what data is recorded in a Tapu?
If you understand the terminology, reading Tapu is quite simple and allows for a quick assessment of a property. Here are some notable terms to learn if you plan to buy property in Turkey:
Kat Mlkiyeti and Kat Irtifaki are fully owned finished properties and construction permits respectively.
Ana Gayrimenkul is the field containing the location of a property including plot number (Ada No), province (Ilcesi), district (mahallesi), town (koyu), city (mevkii), street (sokagi), and block number.
Yuzolcumu is the total area of the land plot occupied by the property.
Devre Mulk and Apca Payi are terms for ownership description. The former means temporary or shared ownership while the latter indicates the share of owned property (when applicable).
Sahibi is the field containing the name of the current owner. Edinme sebebi is the name of the buyer. It also may contain information about the reason for buying the property.
Niteligi is an important field since it contains the intended use of real estate. Bagimsiz Bolum is the field containing information about the property.
The legal framework surrounding Tapu and obtaining it
Receiving a Tapu after purchasing a property is a straightforward affair. However, you need to gather the necessary documents. Note that it may take the officials several weeks to process the information if the information and papers provided by an application are insufficient or do not comply with the legal requirements.
Here are the papers you must provide when applying for title deeds in Turkey:
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The international passport (verified copy)
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Two color photos of the buyer and one photo of the seller
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Property appraisal if you are a foreigner
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The current owner’s property registry document
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DASK insurance (compulsory insurance for homeowners)
If you are planning to purchase property using a loan, you also must provide the relevant documents from the bank. All documents must be translated into Turkish or have translated copies (for international passports).
Obtain title deeds in Turkey with professionals
Tapu carries significance as it proves the ownership of property, allows all parties in the economy to buy, sell, and transfer real estate, and makes it easier for homeowners to access utilities and communication networks.
Obtaining this document is incredibly important if you plan to apply for residence or citizenship in Turkey. Make sure to call STAY PROPERTY specialists and receive detailed consultations and the necessary assistance to assess and purchase real estate in Turkey!