Isatis 2 | Famagusta | Northern Cyprus

The Isatis 2 Famagusta project is a five-floor apartment building by Isatis Construction Group in what the developer calls the developing area of Famagusta (Gazimağusa), Northern Cyprus, with 16 two-bedroom apartments and two three-bedroom penthouses. This guide keeps to what the developer publishes about Isatis 2 Famagusta and adds sourced background on the city, on title-deed categories, on taxes and fees and on the buying procedure.

Every figure is traced to the developer’s pages, to an official text or to arithmetic shown in the page. The developer’s page names no price, no completion date and no title-deed category, so those items are marked as not published. Legal figures are dated 17 October 2026, and several depend on a Council of Ministers decree that may lapse in November 2026.

Overview of the Isatis 2 Famagusta project

According to the developer’s English project page, Isatis 2 offers apartments in the developing area of Famagusta together with what it calls a great opportunity of rental guaranty. The building has five floors and a modern design, with 16 flats of the 2+1 type and two penthouses of the 3+1 type. The rental wording is marketing language: the page gives no percentage, term, payer or conditions, so it is treated here as an unquantified claim and not as an offer.

The Turkish version describes the two top units as 3+1 duplex flats (dubleks daire), and its plan tab and type label read “çatı katı”, meaning roof floor. The English penthouse label and the Turkish duplex label therefore point to the same two units, and the page does not say whether their layout runs over one level or two.

The developer is Isatis Construction Group; its About page states that Isatis Construction Limited has operated in North Cyprus since 2015 and builds and sells apartments and villas in Famagusta and Yeniboğaziçi. The Isatis 2 page gives no street, map location or distance to the sea, the university or any shop, and it lists no parking, lift, security or shared facility. These gaps do not show that such features are absent; they show only that the page does not mention them.

The table collects the stated facts for the Isatis 2 Famagusta apartments and marks each unpublished item. Other projects in the region are listed on the Northern Cyprus country page and the Famagusta city page.

Isatis 2 Famagusta unit types and sizes

The developer lists three layouts: two apartment types with two bedrooms each and one penthouse with three bedrooms. The page does not say how the 16 flats divide between Type A and Type B, or whether the listed sizes are gross or net. Only the penthouse has a listed terrace; no balcony or garden is listed for the apartments.

The second table turns the listed figures into ratios. Every value is calculated from the developer’s figures, and the arithmetic is shown in the cells so each can be checked against the first table.

Read together, the tables show how the layouts relate. Type B is 5 m² larger than Type A, which is 7.1% more floor area. The penthouse is 15 m² larger than Type B and 20 m² larger than Type A. Per bedroom, the apartments offer 35.0 and 37.5 m², while the penthouse offers 30.0 m² before its terrace is counted, so the three-bedroom unit is the least generous per bedroom if the 90 m² excludes the terrace and the most generous if the terrace is added.

That point is open, because the page does not say whether the 90 m² includes the 30 m² terrace. If the terrace lies outside the 90 m², the penthouse totals 120 m², the terrace is 25.0% of that total and each bedroom has 40.0 m².

If the terrace is inside the 90 m², the enclosed part is 60 m², each bedroom has 20.0 m² and the terrace is half the size of the enclosed area (30 ÷ 60 = 50.0%). Both readings fit the published text, so neither is presented as a fact.

The plan on the developer’s page, or a written specification attached to a contract, would settle it.

The unit mix can also be described. With 16 apartments and two penthouses the building has 18 units (16 + 2, calculated): 88.9% are 2+1 apartments (16 ÷ 18) and 11.1% are penthouses (2 ÷ 18). Because the split between Type A and Type B is not stated, the combined listed area can only be a range: 1,300 m² if all 16 flats were Type A (1,120 + 180) and 1,380 m² if all were Type B (1,200 + 180).

The real figure lies between the two and excludes terraces and common areas.

Location: Famagusta context for Isatis 2

The developer describes the site only as the developing area of Famagusta, with no district, neighbourhood, street or map location. Other Isatis pages are more specific: Isatis 1 refers to the centre of Famagusta city, Isatis 3 and Isatis 5 to the Karakol region, and Isatis 4 to the Çanakkale area near City Mall.

The Isatis 2 page does not say that it shares an area with any of them. Because the plot is unlocated, distances here are measured from one fixed reference, the Walled City centre point at Namık Kemal Square in OpenStreetMap, and describe the city around the project without locating it.

The municipality says the city grew north and north-east after the Eastern Mediterranean University became a state university in 1986, with dense building in Sakarya, Karakol, Baykal, north of Salamis Road and in Tuzla, while the historic centre is the walled Suriçi (Famagusta Municipality).

The 2011 census counted 7,647 residents in Sakarya, 7,046 in Karakol, 4,114 in Çanakkale and 1,476 in Suriçi (ward table). The developer calls Karakol the centre of Famagusta; the municipal account and the census describe a built-up northern ward close to the Walled City, whose centroid lies 2.9 km in a straight line and 3.7 km by road from the reference point (OpenStreetMap, OSRM).

None of this places Isatis 2 in any ward.

On population, sources conflict, so figures carry their dates. The 2011 census counted 40,920 residents in the municipality and 69,741 in the district (municipal table). The municipality quotes a State Planning Organisation projection of 55,868 for 2020, plus more than 20,000 students and staff who live in the city for most of the year (municipal history); a projection is not a count, and Wikipedia gives 55,648 for 2019.

The country counted 286,257 people in 2011, and the Statistical Institute projects 476,214 at the end of 2023 (demography bulletin).

Official student series point down. Eastern Mediterranean University enrolled 15,729 students in 2024-25, down 5.5% from 16,640 in 2021-22, and national higher-education enrolment fell 8.0%, from 114,000 to 104,873 (Statistical Yearbook 2024). With the four other universities the municipality lists in Famagusta the total is 19,735 in 2024-25, a sum calculated in the fact pack.

The university states that its 19 on-campus dormitory complexes can accommodate about 10,000 students (EMU handbook). No official statement of a student-housing shortage was found, and the figures do not support a claim of rising rental demand.

Famagusta State Hospital stands on Salamis Road with about 160 beds (hospital profile); the yearbook lists 161 state beds and four private in-patient institutions with 104 beds in the district in 2024. City Mall’s operator reports 65 stores, more than 130 brands and parking for 1,500 vehicles (City Mall), and the municipality runs free flexible bus lines (public transport page).

Ercan Airport is 40.0 km away in a straight line and about 56 km by road, roughly 56 minutes by the OSRM estimate; flights go to Türkiye only (Wikipedia). Larnaca Airport is 40.8 km away in a straight line, with no road figure because the route depends on the crossing used.

The Nicosia–Famagusta road is the busiest route in Northern Cyprus, with average daily traffic reaching 40,000 vehicles (Turkish Highways Directorate). No passenger ferry from Famagusta is confirmed in the sources; the Free Port handled 421,398 t unloaded, 413,344 t loaded and 107 ship calls in 2023 (yearbook).

No claim is made about Varosha property: the Security Council’s July 2021 statement calls settlement of the area by anyone other than its inhabitants inadmissible, and the Secretary-General’s report of 6 July 2026 records that no steps were taken to address the Council’s call for reversal (report S/2026/550).

Climate figures come from the nearest official series, a Republic of Cyprus station at Paralimni about 7.4 km south of the reference point, for 2002 to 2011 (WMO World Weather Information Service). Its monthly means sum to 331.1 mm a year (calculated), with January the wettest month at 97.3 mm. An aggregator reports sea temperatures from 17.2 °C in February to 29.0 °C in August (seatemperatu.re). For other coastlines, see the guide to the top beaches in Cyprus.

Title-deed categories and what each means

The Isatis 2 page states no title-deed category, and the developer’s FAQ names none for any project. A category matters because the words “title deed” on a sale document say little until the Land Registry record shows how the land reached the seller. This section sets out what official texts and foreign-government guidance in the verified fact pack say, which category names are used in practice and which have an official definition. It assigns no category to Isatis 2.

Ownership is recorded at the Land Registry (Tapu ve Kadastro Dairesi) through district offices called Tapu Amirliği; a Famagusta property is registered at the Gazimağusa office. Since a Land Registry announcement of 15 July 2025, transfers, mortgages, research documents and file transactions are handled only at the office of the district where the property is registered (announcement). The research document (araştırma belgesi) is an information-only ownership query, and an agency guide says it shows the registered owner, property details, mortgages and restrictions (Tekce).

The constitutional background explains why categories exist. Article 159(1)(b) of the TRNC Constitution vests in the State immovable property found abandoned on 13 February 1975, or classified by law as abandoned or ownerless after that date, whatever the Land Registry shows, and Article 159(4) lets claimants prove legitimate rights under a procedure and compensation basis set by law (TRNC Constitution).

Reading this as the basis of State ownership of former Greek Cypriot property is an inference, since the text names no group. Provisional Article 1(2) reserves the right of TRNC citizens who left property in the south to ask the State for property of equivalent value, the basis of the exchange (eşdeğer) system.

Official records confirm that these categories exist. The Land Registry fee schedule in Resmi Gazete No. 197 of 7 October 2026 distinguishes land registered with a Final Disposition Certificate (Kesin Tasarruf Belgesi), issued under the Housing, Land Distribution and Equivalent Property Law, from points held under Value Documents (Mal Değer Belgeleri), taxed separately at 4% on sale (Resmi Gazete 197); as of 17 October 2026 the schedule is valid only until 5 January 2027 inclusive.

Labels used in sales material, such as Turkish title (Türk koçanı), exchange title and allocation (tahsis), come from agency guidance with no official definition table, so the table below reports what the sources say and offers no legal definitions.

UK Government guidance says ownership of many properties in the north is disputed, with thousands of claims from people displaced in 1974, that the European Court of Human Rights has ruled in a number of cases that pre-1974 owners continue to be regarded as the legal owners, and that a future settlement could bring restitution plus compensation, in particular for land that was Greek Cypriot-owned before 1974 and later classified as exchange or gift land (UK Government guidance). The page is dated 27 November 2019.

In Demopoulos and Others v. Turkey (admissibility decision, 1 March 2010) the Strasbourg court held that Law 67/2005 and its Immovable Property Commission offer an accessible and effective remedy, accepted that restitution can be limited by the position of third parties, and did not recognise the TRNC (ECHR decision).

As of 2 October 2026 the Commission reports 8,807 applications, 3,757 concluded, GBP 768,594,023 awarded in compensation, and restitution decisions in 7 cases, restitution with compensation in 8, exchange with compensation in 2, partial restitution in 1 and restitution after a settlement in 1 (Immovable Property Commission).

Restitution of some kind therefore appears in 17 of 3,757 concluded cases (calculated, about 0.5%); the page does not break down the rest. As of 17 October 2026, Law 67/2005 allows applications until 21 December 2027 (consolidated text).

The enforcement risk is separate. In Apostolides v Orams (28 April 2009) the Court of Justice of the EU held that a judgment of a court in the government-controlled area ordering British buyers to vacate land in the north, found to belong to a Greek Cypriot owner, must be recognised and enforced in other Member States (Court of Justice press release).

UK guidance adds that buyers could face proceedings in Republic of Cyprus courts, that at least one enforcement succeeded in the UK, and that a criminal-code amendment in force since 20 October 2006 makes buying, selling or mortgaging property without the registered owner’s permission an offence of up to 7 years (attempt up to 5).

The offence is in the Republic’s code and not in UK law. For background, see the article on title deeds in Northern Cyprus.

Because the Isatis 2 page is silent on the category, the answer has to come from the record and the contract; the checks below follow from these sources.

1. Request in writing the parcel number and Land Registry reference of the plot under the building.
2. Have an independent lawyer obtain a research document (araştırma belgesi) from the Gazimağusa Tapu Amirliği showing the registered owner, mortgages and restrictions.
3. Read the category on the record, whether Turkish, exchange or other, and the document on which it rests, such as a Final Disposition Certificate where one applies.
4. Ask who owned the land before 1974 and how it reached the present owner, since the UK guidance links restitution risk to exchange or gift land.
5. Confirm whether condominium title or easement exists and, if not, whether the decree’s two-year transitional route (a building permit or Planning Approval) is being used.
6. Find out whether the developer has mortgaged the land to a bank; the UK guidance lists developer mortgages among the problems it names.
7. Compare the seller’s name on the record with the name on the sale contract.
8. Check the unit against the acquisition limits that apply as of 17 October 2026 and the 80% cap on sales of zoned housing projects to foreigners.
9. Ask the lawyer to address the Republic of Cyprus criminal-law and enforcement risk, including the carrying of purchase documents across the Green Line.

Buying property in Northern Cyprus in brief

A purchase by a foreign buyer runs on three separate clocks. As of 17 October 2026 their lengths come from Decree-Law 89/2026 (Resmi Gazete No. 147, 7 August 2026), not from the consolidated Law 52/2008 on the legislation portal, which still shows shorter periods (Resmi Gazete 147; Law 52/2008).

The decree re-issues Decree-Law 63/2026 (Resmi Gazete No. 87, 11 May 2026), whose 90 days ended on 10 August 2026 (Resmi Gazete 87), and its own 90 days end about 5 November 2026 (calculated) unless Parliament enacts it. Whether Parliament has done so was not established, so every period below depends on the decree being in force or enacted.

The first clock starts with the signature. The stamped sale agreement must be registered at the district Land Registry within one month, after buyer and seller have paid the taxes and fees due on the sale, and the permit application goes to the Interior Ministry in the same month; otherwise the contract is void automatically.

The Ministry’s list asks for a petition, information forms, a passport copy, a title copy, a location plan and an original police record, plus a TL 45 stamp for applications by proxy (document list). The application fee is half the gross monthly minimum wage: TL 35,446.50 at the TL 70,893 wage valid from 1 July 2026 (calculated; Tax Department).

The second clock runs from publication of the Council of Ministers’ permit: the transfer declaration must be signed at the district office within one year under the decree (six months in the consolidated text), or the permit lapses. The third clock covers the transfer fees: 75 working days under the decree (60 in the consolidated text).

A lapsed permit costs double fees on re-application, and a third application for the same property is not allowed. Until all taxes and fees are paid, local authorities may not give water connections and the electricity authority may not give electricity connections.

No official processing time for the permit was found in the laws read. The developer’s FAQ states 1-2 months for Turkish citizens and 6-8 months for other nationalities, and says a power of attorney issued under Northern Cyprus rules allows a purchase before arrival (Isatis FAQ); these are developer statements.

The contract is registered at the Land Registry and not at a court; no official source requiring court registration was found. For a wider overview of costs in the region, see the article on the cost of buying, building and renting property in North Cyprus.

Risks, title and due diligence

Four groups of risk are visible in the sources. The first concerns the rules themselves. Under Decree-Law 89/2026, as of 17 October 2026 and while it remains in force, a foreign buyer may hold up to three apartments, or six for nationals of states that recognise the TRNC, while the consolidated Law 52/2008 text still shows one apartment, or three for those nationals (Resmi Gazete 147; Law 52/2008).

Land Registry fees of 4%, 5.5% and 6% by property count come from a schedule valid only until 5 January 2027 (Resmi Gazete 197). Under Law 52/2008, selling beyond the limits is an offence with a fine of up to 500 times the gross monthly minimum wage, about TL 35.4 million at the July 2026 wage (500 × 70,893, calculated).

The second group is title and enforcement risk, covered in the title-deed section. The third concerns the building and the contract. UK guidance names lawyers acting for both vendor and builder, building without the correct permits, payment plans left out of contracts, difficulty obtaining final completion certificates and title deeds, and developer mortgages on the land (UK Government).

The Chamber of Engineers and Architects said in 2023 that project approval checks seismic compliance (Yenidüzen report), and the Statistical Institute counts only buildings that hold a final approval certificate (bulletin).

The fourth group is money. Consumer prices rose 35.02% over the twelve months to September 2026 (Statistical Institute), and stamp duty on a foreign-currency contract is computed in lira at the official effective selling rate on the stamping date. Under the Foreign Exchange Law, remittances are free if banks are used and names and addresses are recorded (Law 38/1997). The UK says it can provide only limited consular support in the north (FCDO regional risks).

How Isatis 2 Famagusta compares with the other Isatis projects

The table covers the seven Isatis listings and the Orchard project, with the area wording, unit types and size range each developer page publishes. The comparison ranks nothing. Isatis 2 Famagusta shares its 70-75 m² two-bedroom apartments with Isatis 1, and its 75 m² Type B matches the two-bedroom apartments of Isatis 4.

Its penthouse differs in having three bedrooms and one bathroom: Isatis 4 lists a two-bedroom penthouse of 83 m² with a 50 m² terrace (60.2% of the listed size, 50 ÷ 83, calculated), and Isatis 5 a 151 m² penthouse with a 58 m² terrace (38.4%, 58 ÷ 151) and two bathrooms.

At 33.3% the Isatis 2 terrace ratio is lower than both.

Two cautions apply. The developer does not state whether the Karakol projects, Isatis 3 and Isatis 5, are close to each other, and Isatis 2 is not placed relative to either. Size ranges are also not like for like: the Isatis 3 penthouse lists a terrace of up to 75 m² against a unit size of up to 73 m², so that row is reproduced as listed.

Listings by other developers, such as Sakarya Gardens, Urban Oasis and Aura Gardens in Famagusta, Elysium, Elysium 2 and Infinity at Otuken, and Hillside at Tatlisu, are outside this comparison, which draws on no data about them.

Isatis Construction Group

This section is the developer’s own description, taken from its About and FAQ pages and attributed to it. Isatis Construction Limited states that it has operated in the construction industry since its establishment in North Cyprus in 2015, and that it builds and sells apartments and villas in Famagusta and Yeniboğaziçi. It adds that it is working on projects in those regions. The footer of its pages describes Isatis Construction Group as an engineering and construction company run by experienced engineers that carries out building and infrastructure work.

The About page lists six statements about its approach: environmentally friendly materials of high quality, constant communication with customers before and after the sale, presentation of projects to investors from many countries, management of the projects it delivers, support in the contract-stage procedures, and experienced staff. These are the company’s claims, and the page gives no audited figures, certification or list of completed buildings.

The FAQ covers purchase by power of attorney, the Council of Ministers permit, the limit on properties per foreign national, several taxes and fees, and bank lending. Some figures there are unclear or differ from the official schedule, so this guide uses official texts for rates and the FAQ only to attribute the developer’s statements. The company address on every page is the Orchard complex in Yeniboğaziçi, including pages for central Famagusta projects, so it does not locate Isatis 2.

Frequently asked questions

Where is the Isatis 2 Famagusta project?

The developer places Isatis 2 in the developing area of Famagusta (Gazimağusa), Northern Cyprus, and publishes no district, street or map location. Other Isatis pages name Karakol or the Çanakkale area near City Mall, but the Isatis 2 page does not say that it shares an area with them. The distances in the location section are measured from the Walled City centre point, not from the building.

How many apartments does Isatis 2 Famagusta have?

The developer states 16 two-bedroom (2+1) apartments and two three-bedroom (3+1) penthouses in a five-floor building, which makes 18 units (16 + 2, calculated). The page does not say how the 16 apartments divide between Type A at 70 m² and Type B at 75 m². The penthouse is listed at 90 m² with a 30 m² terrace, and the Turkish page calls the two top units duplex flats.

What does the developer say about the title deed at Isatis 2 Famagusta?

Nothing. The Isatis 2 page states no title-deed category, and the sources do not allow one to be assumed. The category has to be read from the Land Registry record and the sale contract, ideally with an independent lawyer, before any reservation. The title-deed section of this guide lists the categories discussed in official texts and UK guidance, with an ordered checklist for the search.

Is a price published for Isatis 2?

No. The developer’s page gives no price, payment plan, deposit or instalment schedule, and no completion date. The only financial wording is the rental phrase described in the overview, which is marketing language without a percentage, term or conditions. Any figure would have to come from the developer in writing, so this guide marks price and completion as not published and calculates nothing from a price.

How many apartments may a foreigner buy as of 17 October 2026?

Under Decree-Law 89/2026 (Resmi Gazete No. 147, 7 August 2026), at most three apartments, or six for nationals of states that recognise the TRNC. The consolidated Law 52/2008 text still shows one, or three for those nationals. The decree’s 90 days end about 5 November 2026 unless Parliament enacts it, so the limit depends on the decree being in force or enacted.

How long does the purchase permit take?

As of 17 October 2026 no official processing time appears in Law 52/2008 or the decree. The developer’s FAQ states 1-2 months for Turkish citizens and 6-8 months for other nationalities, a developer statement without an official source. After the permit is published, the decree gives one year to sign the transfer declaration and 75 working days to pay the transfer fees, against six months and 60 working days in the consolidated text.

Which taxes and fees apply to a purchase like Isatis 2 Famagusta?

As of 17 October 2026 and until 5 January 2027, Land Registry fees on a sale to a foreign buyer are 4% for the first property, 5.5% for the second and 6% for the third (Resmi Gazete No. 197). Stamp duty on the sale agreement is 0.5% of the stated sum, paid by the buyer unless agreed otherwise.

VAT of 5% covers housing up to 300 m² of closed area (VAT rates regulation), but whether it applies to a given sale was not established officially. Agency pages quote other rates, so quotations differ.

What annual property tax applies to a unit of this size?

The latest schedule found (property tax schedule) is the regulation effective 1 January 2025, which sets a base of TL 6.60 per m² up to 120 m² for normal housing, before surcharges of 10% to 60% by category. At the listed sizes the base amounts are TL 462 for 70 m², TL 495 for 75 m² and TL 594 for 90 m² (calculated, before surcharges). A 2026 schedule was not located, so the amounts may have changed.

Does buying lead to residence or citizenship?

Not automatically. Under the regulation of 5 October 2026, a property-based permit runs 10 years with title in the buyer’s name and property value of GBP 300,000 or more, and 5 years below that. Permanent residence needs housing worth at least EUR 125,000, documented income and 6 continuous years of permits (Permanent Residence Law). Citizenship has no purchase route (Citizenship Law). EU law is suspended in the north (European Commission). See the residency programme article and the citizenship and immigration article.

Can an Isatis 2 apartment be let to holiday guests?

As of 17 October 2026, letting a unit built as housing for tourism purposes for up to 60 days falls under the Holiday Houses Law, which requires registration with the Tourism Planning Department and an operating permit before letting; operating without them is an offence with a fine of up to 10 times the gross monthly minimum wage. Rental income is withheld at 10% of gross rent (Income Tax Law). See also the guide to renting through Airbnb.

Sources and last check

Last checked: 17 October 2026. Sources: the developer’s Isatis 2 and About pages (isatis.co, English and Turkish versions),

• municipal city history
• census wards
• OpenStreetMap
• OSRM
• census municipality
• municipal history
• demography bulletin
• Statistical Yearbook 2024
• EMU handbook
• State Hospital
• City Mall
• municipal buses
• Wikipedia Ercan
• Highways Directorate
• UN News
• WMO
• Wikipedia Salamis
• UN S/2026/550
• seatemperatu.re
• Land Registry announcement
• Tekce
• Constitution
• RG 197
• UK Government guidance
• Law 52/2008
• RG 147
• ECHR Demopoulos
• Immovable Property Commission
• Law 67/2005
• Court of Justice Orams
• RG 87
• Interior Ministry list
• minimum wage
• Isatis FAQ
• Stamp Duty Law
• Yenidüzen
• Statistical Institute 2025 bulletin
• CPI September 2026
• Law 38/1997
• FCDO
• VAT regulation
• property tax 2025
• Residence Regulation
• Permanent Residence Law
• Citizenship Law
• European Commission
• Holiday Houses Law
• Income Tax Law

Secondary, operator and aggregator sources are labelled as such in the text, and distances are indicative. This is not legal, tax or financial advice.