17.10.2026

The promised completion date and photos of the complex help you choose an apartment, but they don't confirm the company's right to sell it. Before paying, you need to check not only the developer but also the property itself: whether it complies with the approved project and zoning regulations, whether there is an occupancy permit (iskan), whether there are any fines, orders or demolition decisions, as well as encumbrances such as a seizure (haciz), an enforcement proceedings annotation (icra dosyası şerhi), a litigation annotation (davalı şerhi), a usufruct right (intifa hakkı), a registered lease (kira hakkı), a building right (üst hakkı) and a mortgage (ipotek). Even a property you like should be considered verified only after its documents have been reviewed.

Before handing over money, you need to collect documents on the company, the land plot and the future apartment. The copies must make the numbers and dates legible: the information in them should be checked against the originals and official records.

A completed building additionally requires an occupancy permit, the iskan. If any document is not yet available, the reason must be established and confirmed in writing before payment.

Vetting a developer starts with its exact legal name. Compare it across the contract, registration data and construction documents. Find out who owns the land plot and on what basis the company is selling apartments if the landowner is a different party.

Ask the construction contractor for its license number. It can be verified through the YAMBIS system or the government contractor verification service. The number should also match the information in the building permit. A match confirms the record in the system but does not by itself prove the company's financial stability. So study its completed projects, their actual completion dates and the condition of the buildings after residents moved in. Developers in Turkey may operate under different brands, so focus on the legal entity.

To check property in Turkey, you first need to find the land on which it is being built. Using the ada and parsel numbers, open the TKGM cadastral service and compare the plot's location, area and designated use with the seller's documents.

The public map doesn't show the full history of rights and doesn't replace a TAPU extract. Ask the owner to provide an up-to-date record of the title and restrictions, including mortgages, seizures and other encumbrances. The owner can grant an authorized person access to detailed information. If you are shown documents for neighboring land instead of the plot of the future complex, clarify the discrepancy before paying a deposit.

When planning a purchase, it is important to check a new build in Turkey against local administration documents. The plot number and project details in the yapı ruhsatı must match the materials presented by the seller. Confirm the permit's validity period and compare the permitted building parameters with the actual construction: the number of blocks and floors and the designated use of the units.

For a completed building, check the iskan, the document authorizing its use. It is issued by the competent local administration. If the building is advertised as completed but the document is missing, request a written explanation and assess the consequences with an independent lawyer. Checking a project requires comparing the paperwork with the property on site.

Even after checking the residential complex, the documents for the selected apartment must be reviewed separately. The procedure is as follows:

Keep copies of the documents and proof of every payment. A sales manager's verbal promises do not replace the written terms of the contract.

Reasons for an additional check include a noticeable delay against the schedule without a clear explanation, frequent changes of contractor, a halt in construction or a demand to pay a large sum quickly. It is also a warning sign when a company shows images of the future complex but does not provide a building permit or land documents.

A single sign doesn't prove the building will remain unfinished. Compare the pace of work with the contractual completion date, visit the site again and ask the developer to explain any discrepancies in writing. The less verified information there is, the more cautious the buyer's payment schedule should be.

Payment protection depends on the terms of the specific transaction. Find out whether a bank guarantee, insurance or another agreed mechanism for refunding money is provided. Check who exactly bears the obligation, what amount it covers and until what date it is valid. The word "guarantee" in an advertising brochure adds nothing to the buyer's rights without a supporting document.

It is sensible to tie each subsequent payment to verifiable construction stages. If you are asked to transfer the full price long before completion, have an independent lawyer assess the contract and the real chances of recovering your money in case of delay.

The contract must state the parties, the exact details of the apartment, the final price, the currency, the payment schedule and the handover date. Separately check what counts as a delay, how the penalty is calculated and under what circumstances each party is entitled to terminate the contract.

The deposit terms require the same precision: the amount, the reservation period, the recipient's account, how it is credited toward the price and how it is refunded if you withdraw or problems with the documents come to light. Compare the Turkish text with the translation. If the versions differ, it is important to know in advance which one prevails.

Grounds for refusing to pay a deposit include the lack of proof of the seller's right to dispose of the apartment, failure to provide up-to-date documents, or a demand to transfer money to an employee's personal account. The payment should also be postponed if the details of the land plot, the building permit and the apartment plan contradict each other and the discrepancies are not supported by documents.

The decision to pay a deposit should be made after clarifying the legal status of the property, the apartment handover dates and the contract termination terms. If there are significant questions, the check should be completed and an opinion obtained from an independent lawyer specializing in Turkish real estate.