Social media posts claiming that Türkiye’s 2018 zoning amnesty and the building registration certificates issued under it expire on Dec. 31, 2026 are misleading, a property consultant wrote on Oct. 13, saying the date applies only to buildings on Treasury-owned land.
The amnesty, known as "İmar Barışı," was introduced in 2018 to issue a Yapı Kayıt Belgesi (YKB), or building registration certificate, for structures built before Dec. 31, 2017 without a licence or in breach of their licence. According to the Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change Ministry, it drew nearly 10 million applications, Samet Hızalan, founding partner of Mars Gayrimenkul, wrote in a column for real estate news site Emlakkulisi.
Treasury land versus private property
Hızalan said Dec. 31, 2026 is the final deadline for amnesty beneficiaries whose buildings stand on Treasury land to purchase that land or make the required payments. For privately owned properties covered by the amnesty, he wrote, there is no such deadline.
He cited Provisional Article 16 of Zoning Law No. 3194, under which a YKB remains valid until the building is rebuilt or becomes part of an urban renewal project.
Treasury parcels carrying qualifying buildings can be sold directly to YKB holders under certain conditions. However, pasture land, land under the Forest Law, plots reserved for public social facilities, parcels that cannot be registered and properties whose certificate has been cancelled are excluded and need case-by-case review, he wrote.
From certificate to condominium title
Hızalan also outlined the steps owners take to change a parcel’s registered land type and set up condominium ownership after obtaining a YKB. A licensed survey office measures the building and prepares a ground determination record. The municipality then issues a letter confirming the parcel has no road or park setback and is not in a public service area. The file goes to the cadastre directorate and, once approved, to the land registry, where an architect’s project and condominium plans, together with compulsory DASK earthquake insurance and other documents, are submitted.
His key caveat for buyers and owners: a YKB alone does not mean a title deed will automatically follow. The ownership of the land and the building, and any obstacles to a sale, are assessed separately. Anyone buying an older property registered under the amnesty may wish to have its land status checked by the land registry or a qualified professional before committing.
Sources
Photo: Alessandro57 / CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
