The title deed, or tapu, is the single most important document in any property purchase in Türkiye. It tells you who owns the property, what exactly is being sold and whether anything stands in the way of a clean transfer. Most later problems, from unpaid debts to missing permits, are visible beforehand on the tapu record or in municipal files. This guide explains how to read a deed, which online checks you can run yourself and which need a lawyer.
What a tapu shows
Turkish title deeds are issued and recorded by the Land Registry and Cadastre General Directorate (Tapu ve Kadastro Genel Müdürlüğü, TKGM) through its local land registry offices (tapu müdürlüğü). The deed itself is a summary; the legally decisive record is the electronic land register (tapu sicili).
A tapu record typically shows:
– the province, district and neighbourhood or village (il, ilçe, mahalle/köy); – the block and parcel numbers (ada and parsel), which identify the land on the cadastral map; – the area of the parcel and its registered description (nitelik), such as "arsa" (building plot), "tarla" (field) or "betonarme mesken" (reinforced-concrete residence); – for flats and villas in a complex, the independent unit number (bağımsız bölüm), floor and the land share (arsa payı) attached to it; – the owner or owners, their share and the date and type of acquisition; – the restrictions and rights recorded against the property (takyidat), covered in detail below.
Always compare these details with what you are being shown on the ground. The unit number on the deed should match the door you walked through, and the registered description should match what is physically there.
Kat mülkiyeti, kat irtifakı and hisseli tapu
Three types of title cause most of the confusion for foreign buyers.
Kat mülkiyeti (full condominium ownership) is the strongest form for a flat or a villa on a shared site. It covers a completed independent unit together with its land share and rights in common areas. It is normally established after the building is finished and the municipality issues the occupancy permit (yapı kullanma izin belgesi, commonly called iskan).
Kat irtifakı (construction servitude) is a right attached to a land share for a unit that is planned or under construction. It is normal for off-plan and new-build projects. A deed can still say kat irtifakı long after a building is finished, because the conversion to kat mülkiyeti may not have been carried out. That does not automatically mean the building lacks iskan, but it is a signal to ask for the occupancy permit.
Hisseli tapu (shared title) means several people own fractions of the whole parcel, rather than a defined unit. You might buy "a 1/8 share" of a plot with a house on it. The share entitles you to a portion of the entire parcel, not legally to a specific house or garden, unless the co-owners sign a binding usage agreement. Co-owners also generally have a statutory pre-emption right (önalım hakkı) when one of them sells to an outsider. Shared titles are common on rural land around Muğla and need extra legal care.
How to check a tapu online
Online access is built around ownership: anyone can locate a parcel, but the full record and its annotations are open only to the owner, people they authorise and those showing a legitimate interest at the registry.
### 1. TKGM Parsel Sorgu (anyone)
The TKGM parcel query at parselsorgu.tkgm.gov.tr is free and does not need a login. You enter the province, district, neighbourhood, block and parcel number, and the map shows the parcel’s boundaries, neighbouring parcels and satellite imagery, along with basic attribute information such as area and registered description. It does not show owners or annotations.
Use it to confirm that the parcel number in the listing or contract really is the plot you visited, and that its size and shape are roughly what the seller describes.
### 2. e-Devlet "Tapu Bilgileri Sorgulama" (owners)
On the government portal e-Devlet (turkiye.gov.tr), the TKGM service "Tapu Bilgileri Sorgulama" lists the properties registered to the logged-in user. Separate versions let parents check property held in a child’s name, heirs check property of a person they inherit from and companies check their own holdings. Foreign residents with a foreigner identification number can obtain e-Devlet access.
As a buyer you cannot query someone else’s property here. In practice, ask the seller to log in in front of you or to give your lawyer an up-to-date record.
### 3. Web Tapu (applications and records)
Web Tapu (webtapu.tkgm.gov.tr) is TKGM’s online platform for starting land registry applications, such as a sale, and following them. Turkish citizens log in via e-Devlet, and TKGM operates a separate foreigner portal. Lawyers often use it to book the transfer appointment.
### 4. The land registry office itself
Under Article 1020 of the Turkish Civil Code, the land register is in principle open to everyone, but inspecting a page or getting copies requires a person to make their interest credible to the registry. A buyer’s lawyer acting under a power of attorney can obtain a current record (takyidat belgesi) from the tapu office. Get one as close as possible to the transfer date, ideally on the day itself, because new entries can appear at any time.
Reading the annotations: şerh, beyan, ipotek, haciz, intifa
The restrictions section of the record is where most risks hide. It has separate columns for annotations (şerhler), declarations (beyanlar) and charges (rehinler), plus servitudes such as usufruct. Read all of them together.
– Ipotek (mortgage) sits in the charges column. The property can be sold with a mortgage on it, but the mortgage stays with the property. Ask the bank for the outstanding balance and a release letter (fek yazısı), and make sure the debt is cleared from the sale price before or at transfer. – Haciz (attachment or seizure) is entered in the annotations column after enforcement proceedings by a creditor or a tax office. It survives a sale, and the creditor can still force a sale. Do not buy until the seizure has been lifted and the release has reached the registry. – Other şerh entries include a promise-to-sell annotation (satış vaadi şerhi), which lets its holder claim registration and normally lapses after five years if not acted on, a court injunction (ihtiyati tedbir) and a registered lease. Any of these can follow the property to a new owner. – Beyan entries are declarations. Many are informative, such as a building’s management plan. Some matter greatly: a family home declaration (aile konutu şerhi) means the non-owner spouse must consent in writing to a sale or mortgage. – Intifa hakkı (usufruct) gives someone else the right to use the property and take its income, often for life. You can become owner yet be unable to live in or rent out the home.
Your contract should state who removes each entry and when. Holding back part of the price until deletions are registered is a common safeguard.
Check zoning and permits at the municipality
The tapu does not tell you everything. The planning and permit position is held by the municipality’s zoning department (imar müdürlüğü) and, in metropolitan provinces such as Muğla, partly by the metropolitan municipality.
Ask for, or have your lawyer obtain:
– the zoning status document (imar durumu), showing what the plan permits on the parcel; – the building permit (yapı ruhsatı) and approved project drawings; – the occupancy permit (iskan) for a completed building; – confirmation of any outstanding demolition orders or fines for unlicensed additions.
Unpermitted extra floors, enclosed balconies and pools are common in coastal resorts, including around Fethiye. For land, also check whether the parcel lies in a protected (sit) area, a coastal strip or forest land, since each brings strict limits. Many municipalities publish an online zoning map, but treat it as a guide and rely on the official documents.
Why a lawyer and sworn translator matter
For foreign buyers, the land registry runs its own checks, including for military and security zones, and requires an SPK-licensed valuation report. Those checks protect the state’s rules, not your investment.
An independent lawyer, appointed by you rather than the agent or developer, can obtain the full record, check municipal files, draft a protective contract and represent you under a power of attorney. If you do not speak Turkish, the land registry requires a sworn translator at the transfer. Use one you trust: you are signing Turkish documents.
Our step-by-step guide to buying property in Türkiye as a foreigner covers the full process, and the costs of buying a home explainer covers the title deed fee. If you plan to apply for Turkish citizenship by property investment, the title is scrutinised again during the application. Note too that the secure payment system for property sales is due from 1 December 2026. Buyers looking along the coast can start with our guide to living in Fethiye.
Frequently asked questions
Q: Can I check who owns a property in Türkiye online?
A: Not as a third party. TKGM Parsel Sorgu shows the parcel’s location and basic attributes but not the owner. Ownership and annotations are visible to the owner through e-Devlet or to your lawyer at the land registry.
Q: Is it safe to buy a property with kat irtifakı on the deed?
A: Often yes, especially in new projects. For a finished building, ask for the occupancy permit and check that the unit matches the approved project before you buy.
Q: What happens if I buy a property that has a mortgage on it?
A: The mortgage stays with the property. Agree in writing that the seller’s debt is paid off from the price and that the release is registered at or before the transfer.
Q: What is the difference between şerh and beyan?
A: A şerh, such as a seizure or promise to sell, can be enforced against later owners. A beyan is a declaration, often informative, though some, like the family home declaration, restrict a sale.
Q: Does a clean tapu mean the house is legal?
A: No. Unlicensed extensions and missing permits appear in municipality files, not always on the deed, so check zoning and iskan separately.
Q: I inherited a Turkish property. How do I check its title?
A: Heirs can use the e-Devlet service for property of a person they inherit from. Our inheritance guide explains the next steps.
For a printable checklist covering title checks, permits and the transfer day, download our free property guide.
This guide is general information and not legal advice; procedures change, so confirm the position for a specific property with a Turkish lawyer and the land registry.
Sources
- Tapu ve Kadastro Genel Müdürlüğü – e-Devlet hizmetleri (Tapu Bilgileri Sorgulama, Web Tapu İşlemleri)
- TKGM Parsel Sorgu Uygulaması
- TKGM Web Tapu
- Tapudaki Şerhler, Haciz ve İpotek: Tapu Kaydını (Takyidat) Okumak (Hukukçular Evi)
- Kat İrtifakı ve Kat Mülkiyeti Nedir? (Garanti BBVA)
- Avukatların tapu kayıtları incelemesinde yaşadığı sorunlar – TMK 1020 (Hukuki Haber)
- Yabancıya Taşınmaz Satışı (Av. Mert Çelik)
- Türkiye’de yabancıların tapu işlemlerinde dikkat etmeleri gereken tüm adımlar (FFK Partner Hukuk)
Photo: Jakub Żerdzicki / Unsplash License, via Unsplash
