Foreign individuals can buy apartments for sale in Turkey under Article 35 of Land Registry Law 2644, within area limits and outside military and special security zones, and ownership passes only when an official deed is signed and registered at the land registry (tapu). A flat is recorded as kat mülkiyeti (condominium ownership) once the building has an occupancy permit, or as kat irtifakı (floor easement) while the building is still to be built. As of 11 November 2026 this site lists 11 apartment projects in Turkey, all in Istanbul and none in any other province.
This guide treats apartments for sale in Turkey as condominium units: the two title types, the land share (arsa payı), the occupancy permit, the registry steps, each fee and tax with its rate and legal basis, the off-plan rules of Consumer Law 6502, the management plan and service charge under Condominium Law 634, the residence-permit and citizenship routes tied to property, official statistics on where foreigners buy, the holiday-letting permit and a due-diligence checklist. Plots and detached houses are on the national page on villas in Türkiye, and Istanbul villas on the Istanbul villa page, and the citizenship threshold project by project is on the Türkiye country page. Every rule names its law and is dated 11 November 2026.
11 apartment listings in Istanbul as of 11 November 2026. Prices are as shown on each listing page; one listing is priced in Turkish lira.
Contents
Key facts about apartments for sale in Turkey
The table collects the rules that decide most purchases of apartments for sale in Turkey. Each row is explained in the sections that follow, with the article number of the law.
| Topic | Rule as of 11 November 2026 | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| Who may buy | Foreign individuals from countries determined by the President; total area held limited to 10% of a district’s privately owned area and 30 hectares per person; military and special security zones excluded | Land Registry Law 2644, Art. 35 |
| How ownership passes | Official deed signed at the land registry and registered; a notarised promise to sell or a private contract does not transfer ownership | Land Registry guide for foreigners |
| Title of a flat | Kat mülkiyeti for a completed building with an occupancy permit; kat irtifakı before completion, converted on the basis of the occupancy permit | Condominium Law 634, Arts. 1, 3, 10, 12, 14 |
| Title deed fee | 2% of the declared price from the buyer and 2% from the seller, on a base not below the municipal tax value | Fees Law 492, Tariff 4 |
| Valuation report | Required where a foreign individual is the buyer; valid for three months under the 2019 circular | Land Registry circular 2019/1 |
| Earthquake insurance (DASK) | Compulsory for units under Law 634; the registry does not register without a valid policy | Law 6305, Arts. 10 and 11 |
| VAT on a new flat | 10% on the first 150 m² of net area and 20% above that for permits dated on or after 1 April 2022; an exemption exists for qualifying non-resident foreign buyers | Law 3065, Arts. 13(i) and 28; Decision 7346 |
| Off-plan sale | Building permit before any contract; pre-information form one day before; 14-day withdrawal; delivery within 48 months | Consumer Law 6502, Arts. 40 to 45 |
| Annual property tax | 0.1% of the tax value for a residence, doubled in metropolitan municipality areas | Property Tax Law 1319, Art. 8 |
| Residence permit | Short-term permit for a property owner; home value at least USD 200,000 on the acquisition date and not let out, per the migration authority’s list | Law 6458, Art. 31(1)(b) |
| Citizenship route | Property of at least USD 400,000 with a three-year no-sale annotation; Presidential decision | Citizenship Regulation, Art. 20(2)(b) |
| Holiday letting | Permit, unanimous consent of the building’s owners and a limit of 100 days per letting | Law 7464, Arts. 1 and 3 |
| Listed on this site | 11 apartment projects, all in Istanbul | Listing pages, 11 November 2026 |
Who can buy apartments for sale in Turkey, and what is the military-zone check?
Article 35 of Land Registry Law 2644 lets foreign individuals who are nationals of the countries determined by the President acquire real estate and limited real rights, subject to the statutory limits. The land registry’s guide for foreigners states that the reciprocity condition was removed by Law 6302 in 2012 and that no residence permit is needed to buy.
Two numerical limits apply. The total area held by one foreign individual may not exceed 10% of the privately owned area of the district or 30 hectares nationwide, and the President may raise the national figure up to double. For a single flat these ceilings are far away, but they are binding and the registry applies them. Foreign-law companies can acquire real estate only under special laws.
The same article deals with military land. The maps and coordinates of military zones and special security zones are supplied to the land registry authority, and registry transactions follow them. The land registry’s guide, a copy of which dates from 2018, says the registry asks the competent command whether the property lies outside such zones and that the step was lifted in the 58 provinces where the zone survey was complete. Which procedure applies to a given district is settled at the registry.
What is kat mülkiyeti, and how does it differ from kat irtifakı?
Condominium Law 634 builds the ownership of a flat from two linked rights. Under Article 1, independent ownership rights can be created over the floors, flats, offices and shops of a completed building that can be used separately, and for a building under construction or planned the landowner can create floor easements that become condominium ownership once the building is finished. Article 10 says both arise by an official deed and registration.
| Point | Kat irtifakı (floor easement) | Kat mülkiyeti (condominium ownership) |
|---|---|---|
| What it covers | A right on the shared land for units that are to be built or are under construction (Art. 2(c)) | Ownership of an independent unit in a completed building, with a land share and shared parts (Arts. 1 and 3) |
| What the registry needs | The approved architectural project and a management plan (Art. 14) | The approved project, the occupancy permit and the management plan (Art. 12) |
| How it ends or converts | Converted to kat mülkiyeti on the basis of the occupancy permit; the landowner or one co-owner can ask for it (Art. 3) | Remains until the building or the right is extinguished |
| Rights of the holder | Holders can demand, and sue for, the start and completion of the building within the period in the contract(Art. 17) | Ownership of the unit, with shared parts owned in proportion to the land share (Art. 16) |
| What to read on the record | Land share per unit, unit and block numbers, annotations on the parcel | Land share, unit number, annotations, management plan date |
For a buyer of a finished flat, the title record should show kat mülkiyeti, because Article 12 ties it to the occupancy permit. For an off-plan flat the record will show kat irtifakı, and the contract runs on the building licence and the floor-easement entry. In a multi-building complex (toplu yapı, Articles 66 to 69) each completed building can be converted as it is finished, so a complex can contain blocks of both kinds at the same moment. The listing pages show how this looks in practice: for Referans Beşiktaş the page reports revised floor easements registered on 20 July 2023, and for Referans Göktürk floor easements established on 20 March 2024.
What is the land share (arsa payı) of an apartment, and why does it matter?
Article 2(d) of Law 634 defines the arsa payı as the co-ownership share in the land that is allocated to each independent unit. Article 3 requires the shares to be set in proportion to the value of each unit, calculated from its position and size, and shown in the project. If the shares were not set proportionally, any owner can apply to a court to have them redistributed.
The share is not a detail. It travels with the flat: Article 5 says it passes with the unit and cannot be transferred separately from it. It also sets the owner’s part of the costs and of the vote. Under Article 20 the janitor, boiler and gardener costs are shared equally unless agreed otherwise, and the other running costs follow the land share. Under Article 30 the owners’ assembly meets when more than half of the owners are present by number and by land share.
A worked example shows the effect. If monthly shared costs of a building are TRY 400,000 and a flat holds 25 of 1,000 land-share units, the proportional items are 400,000 × 25 ÷ 1,000 = TRY 10,000 for that flat; if the management plan splits some items equally, those items follow the plan instead. The figures are an illustration, not a quote. The management plan, which binds every owner and successor, is where the split is written, and Article 28 provides for the plan to be recorded in the annotations column of the register.
Two further points are specific to flats. Under Article 8 the other owners of the building have no pre-emption right when a flat is sold, whereas co-owners of one unit do have such a right if one of them sells a share. And under Article 19 an owner cannot build, repair or repaint the exterior of shared parts without the written consent of four-fifths of all owners.
What is the occupancy permit (iskân), and why does it decide the title?
The occupancy permit, yapı kullanma izin belgesi, is issued under Article 30 of Zoning Law 3194 by the authority that issued the building licence. The municipality must decide within 30 days, and if it does not, the permit is treated as granted. The permit does not remove the owner’s liability or any tax.
Article 31 provides that a building without the permit is not connected to electricity, water and sewage, and allows unit-level permits. That is the reason the permit is the first document a buyer of a finished flat reads, and the reason Article 12 of Law 634 asks for it before condominium ownership is registered. For an unfinished building, Article 3 of Law 634 converts the floor easement to condominium ownership on the strength of the permit for the whole building, so the conversion has no fixed calendar date.
Two registry annotations are worth reading with the permit. Under Article 32 of Law 3194, as amended on 14 February 2020, information that a building contravenes zoning law is sent to the land registry within seven days for entry in the annotations column. And under Article 3(2) of Law 6306, a building declared a risky structure is notified to the registry within ten working days of the finding for the same column. Neither annotation appears in a brochure; both appear on the register.
How does the tapu process work for an apartment, step by step?
The land registry (Tapu ve Kadastro Genel Müdürlüğü, TKGM) states in its guide for foreigners that ownership of real estate passes by an official deed signed at a registry office and registered; a promise to sell signed before a notary, or a private sale contract, does not transfer it. The order below combines that guide, the circular on valuation reports and the provisions cited in each row.
| Step | What happens | Who or where | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Identify the unit | Obtain the parcel, block and unit numbers and the title record; read ownership, land share, mortgages, attachments and annotations | Land registry | Land registry guide; Law 634, Art. 14 |
| 2. Read the building papers | Building licence, occupancy permit or floor-easement entry, approved project, management plan | Municipality; registry | Law 3194, Art. 30; Law 634, Art. 12 |
| 3. Off-plan only: pre-information | Pre-information form given at least one day before the contract; the building licence must already exist | Seller to buyer | Law 6502, Art. 40 |
| 4. Contract form | Registered pre-sale, or a notarised promise to sell; no payment may be demanded before a valid contract exists | Registry or notary | Law 6502, Art. 41 |
| 5. Valuation report | Report by a licensed valuation firm for acquisitions where a foreign individual is buyer or seller; valid three months | Licensed valuation firm | Circular 2019/1 |
| 6. Supporting documents | Passport, municipal tax-value certificate, DASK policy, photographs, sworn translator if needed, power of attorney if represented | Buyer, municipality, insurer | Land registry guide |
| 7. Fees | Title deed fee from both sides on the declared price, not below the tax value; registry service charges | Registry | Law 492, Tariff 4 |
| 8. Deed and registration | Official deed signed before the registry officer; the registry registers the new owner | Registry office | Land registry guide |
| 9. After registration | Utility subscriptions are checked against the DASK policy; property tax is paid by the owner | Utility, municipality | Law 6305, Art. 11; Law 1319, Art. 30 |
The guide also lists the practical papers: a passport, a municipal certificate of value, a DASK policy, photographs, a sworn translator where the buyer does not read Turkish, and a power of attorney with an apostille where the buyer is represented. It also advises checking mortgages and attachments at the registry before signing.
The valuation report has its own history. Circular 1795 (2019/1) of 15 February 2019 required a report from 4 March 2019 where a foreign individual is buyer or seller, prepared under international valuation standards by a firm authorised under the banks’ valuation regulation and valid for three months if the transaction is completed in that period. The procedure was re-issued in later circulars (2021/6 and 2024/2), so the circular in force at the registry governs.
What does it cost to buy an apartment in Turkey?
The costs of apartments for sale in Turkey fall into fees at the registry, tax on the contract or the new building, insurance and the valuation report. The table gives the rate, the payer and the legal basis; amounts that change by decree or by annual revaluation are named but not quoted.
| Item | Rate or basis | Paid by | Legal basis |
|---|---|---|---|
| Title deed fee | 2% of the declared price, not below the municipal tax value | Buyer 2% and seller 2% | Law 492, Tariff 4 |
| Registry service charges | Fixed revolving-fund and service fees collected at the registry | Buyer, at the registry | Land registry guide |
| Valuation report | Fee set by the valuation firm | Buyer | Circular 2019/1 |
| DASK policy | Premium by the tariff of the disaster insurance institution; renewed every year | Owner | Law 6305, Art. 10 |
| Stamp duty | 0.948% on a private-form contract with a stated amount; 0 on a notarised promise to sell real estate and on a registered pre-sale housing contract | Parties to the contract | Law 488, Tariff I.A |
| VAT | 10% up to 150 m² of net area and 20% above, on a first sale of a new home by the builder; exemption possible | Buyer, in the price | Law 3065, Arts. 13(i), 28 |
| Notary, sworn translator, power of attorney | Tariffs and fees vary | Buyer | Land registry guide |
| Annual property tax | 0.1% of the tax value for a residence; 0.2% in metropolitan areas | Owner | Law 1319, Art. 8 |
| Service charge (aidat) | By the management plan, in proportion to the land share | Owner | Law 634, Art. 20 |
A worked example shows the title deed fee. Take a declared price of TRY 12,000,000 and a municipal tax value of TRY 8,000,000. The base is the price, because it is higher than the tax value, so each side pays 12,000,000 × 2% = TRY 240,000 and the two shares together come to TRY 480,000. If the declared price were TRY 7,000,000 the base would be the tax value of TRY 8,000,000, and each side would pay TRY 160,000. The invented figures only illustrate the rule in the text of Tariff 4, which taxes the declared price “not less than” the property-tax value.
Is VAT charged on apartments for sale in Turkey, and can a foreign buyer be exempt?
VAT is charged on the first delivery of a newly built home. Article 28 of Law 3065 sets the base rate at 10%. For housing with a permit dated on or after 1 April 2022, Decision 7346 (Official Gazette 32241, 7 July 2023, applicable from 10 July 2023) fixed 10% on the first 150 m² of net area and 20% on the excess, according to the summary published by Alomaliye. A 1% rate applies in Law 6306 transformation areas.
The Revenue Administration’s VAT communiqué shows the split pro rata to area. For a new flat of 160 m² net with a price excluding VAT of TRY 16,000,000, 150 ÷ 160 of the price, TRY 15,000,000, bears 10%, which is TRY 1,500,000, and the remaining TRY 1,000,000 bears 20%, which is TRY 200,000. The VAT is TRY 1,700,000, or 10.625% of the price. These are illustration figures with the post-July 2023 rates; a seller’s price list should state whether VAT is included and which licence date was used.
Article 13(i) of Law 3065 contains an exemption. On the first delivery of a building built as a home or workplace, where the price is brought to Turkey in foreign currency, the delivery is exempt if the buyer is a foreign individual not resident in Turkey (the exemption also covers some Turkish citizens abroad and foreign companies without a Turkish business). The buyer shares liability if the conditions are not met, and if the home is disposed of within three years the tax, with deferral interest, must be paid before the registry transaction. The exemption depends on the buyer’s status and on the payment route, so it is a point to settle in writing before signing.
What taxes and charges does an owner pay each year?
Annual property tax is set by Article 8 of Law 1319: one per thousand (0.1%) of the tax value for a residence and two per thousand for other buildings, with both rates increased by 100% within the borders of metropolitan municipalities under Law 5216 and their adjacent areas. Istanbul is a metropolitan municipality, so a flat there is taxed at 0.2%. Article 30 sets two equal instalments, the first in March, April and May and the second in November.
Article 5(a) adds a temporary relief for new flats: for five years from the budget year after the year of completion, one quarter of the tax value is exempt, and a buyer who uses the flat as a residence takes over the remaining period. The arithmetic: a tax value of TRY 6,000,000 in Istanbul gives 6,000,000 × 0.2% = TRY 12,000 a year; with the quarter exempt the base is 4,500,000, and the tax is TRY 9,000. These figures are for illustration only.
A separate valuable-home tax applies under Articles 42 to 44 to homes whose building tax value exceeds a threshold. The consolidated text on the legislation portal shows the amounts as revalued for 2026.
| Building tax value (TRY) | Valuable-home tax |
|---|---|
| Up to 17,711,000 | None |
| 17,711,001 to 26,567,000 | 0.3% of the part above 17,711,000 |
| 26,567,001 to 35,425,000 | 26,568 plus 0.6% of the part above 26,567,000 |
| Above 35,425,000 | 79,716 plus 1.0% of the part above 35,425,000 |
For a building tax value of TRY 20,000,000 the tax is (20,000,000 − 17,711,000) × 0.3% = TRY 6,867. DASK is renewed yearly, and shared costs follow the management plan; both are covered in later sections. The figures on the Turkey property tax calculator use the same sources.
Is earthquake insurance compulsory for an apartment?
Yes for units under the Condominium Law. Article 10 of Law 6305 makes compulsory earthquake insurance (DASK) apply to independent units under Law 634, and the policy is renewed every year.
Article 11 gives the policy practical weight. Land registry offices may not register transactions for units that fall under the insurance until it is shown that the policy was taken and is valid on the day of the transaction, and water and electricity subscriptions for such units are checked for the policy.
What protects a buyer of an off-plan apartment?
Articles 40 to 46 of Consumer Law 6502 regulate pre-paid housing sales, in which the buyer pays the price before the seller transfers or delivers the home. The regulation on pre-paid housing sales was published on 27 November 2014 (Official Gazette 29188) and amended on 4 August 2022 (Official Gazette 31913). The rules protect a buyer acting as a consumer; the definition of consumer in the law governs who qualifies.
| Rule | What the law provides | Article |
|---|---|---|
| Building licence first | No pre-paid housing sale contract may be made before the building licence is issued | Art. 40(3) |
| Pre-information | A pre-information form with the content set by the Ministry must be given at least one day before the contract | Art. 40(2) |
| Form of contract | Registration of the pre-sale in the land registry, or a promise to sell drawn up before a notary; the seller cannot demand any payment or debt document before a valid contract exists | Art. 41 |
| Security | Above a size set by the Ministry, the seller must hold building completion insurance or another security before sales begin; the Ministry of Trade states the project threshold as 30 or more units | Art. 42 |
| 14-day withdrawal | The consumer may withdraw within 14 days | Art. 43 |
| Delivery period | Delivery within the contractual period, never later than 48 months from the contract date; registration of the floor easement in the buyer’s name with transfer of possession counts as delivery | Art. 44 |
| Withdrawal up to 24 months | The consumer may withdraw without reason up to 24 months from the contract date; the seller may claim taxes and fees and compensation of up to 2%, 4%, 6% or 8% of the contract price depending on the period elapsed (3, 6, 12 or 24 months); the refund is due within 180 days | Art. 45 |
Article 44 was amended by Law 7392 of 24 March 2022 to set the 48-month ceiling, and the 2022 amendment of the regulation aligned the text. The maximum compensation rises with time: on a contract price of TRY 10,000,000 a withdrawal in the first three months can cost up to TRY 200,000 in compensation, plus taxes and fees, and a withdrawal between 12 and 24 months up to TRY 800,000. These sums are limits, not fixed charges, and the contract must be read for the actual terms.
The pre-paid sale rules apply to projects sold before completion. A buyer of a finished flat with an occupancy permit and condominium ownership buys under the ordinary deed procedure. The guide to buying an apartment in installments covers the payment-plan side.
Does a notarised sale promise make the buyer the owner?
No. The land registry’s guide says that a promise to sell signed before a notary, or an external sale contract, does not make the buyer the owner. It is a contract that obliges the seller to sell, and ownership passes only at the registry. Article 41 of Law 6502 makes the notarised promise to sell or the registered pre-sale the valid forms for pre-paid housing sales, so a promise is the normal paper of an off-plan purchase and not a flaw in itself.
The stamp duty schedule treats the two forms alike: Tariff I.A of Law 488 applies zero to a real estate promise to sell drawn up in official form and to a pre-paid housing sale contract under Law 6502, while a private-form contract with a stated amount pays 0.948%. The Citizenship Regulation also accepts a notarised promise to sell for the investment route if the full amount has been paid in advance and a three-year undertaking is annotated at the registry.
How are management plans, service charges and owners’ meetings regulated?
Article 28 of Law 634 says the management plan sets the way the building is managed, how its parts are used and the pay of managers and auditors, and that it binds all owners like a contract and also their successors, the manager and the auditors. Changing it needs the votes of four-fifths of all owners. The plan, and its amendments, are annotated in the register. A buyer who reads the plan before signing reads the rules that will bind the next owner.
| Subject | Rule | Article |
|---|---|---|
| Shared costs | Janitor, boiler and gardener costs equally unless agreed; other running costs by land share | Art. 20 |
| Late payment | Late fee of 5% per month | Art. 20 |
| Tenants | Tenants are bound by the plan; a tenant’s liability is limited to the rent due | Arts. 18 and 22 |
| Statutory mortgage | A statutory mortgage on the unit secures unpaid shares, and owners’ claims are privileged | Art. 22 |
| Manager | Mandatory where the building has eight or more units; appointed by a majority of owners by number and by land share | Art. 34 |
| Annual meeting | At least once a year; in a multi-building complex at least every two years; first meeting needs more than half by number and land share | Arts. 29 and 30 |
| Second meeting | At least seven days after the first meeting; decision by a majority of those present | Arts. 29 and 30 |
| Challenging a decision | Application to court within one month | Art. 33 |
| Works on shared parts | Written consent of four-fifths of owners for works on the exterior or shared parts; unanimity for an extra floor and for letting a facade for advertising | Arts. 19, 44, 45 |
| Access for repairs | Owners must allow access for repairs | Art. 23 |
A worked example of the late-payment rule: a charge of TRY 10,000 unpaid for 30 days attracts 5% a month, TRY 500 for that month. In a multi-building estate (toplu yapı, Articles 66 to 69) block assemblies exist alongside the estate-level body. For the large complexes on this site, such as Modasehir Residences, the management plan and the estate-level body therefore matter as much as the unit’s size.
Does buying an apartment in Turkey give a residence permit or citizenship?
A purchase does not by itself grant either. Article 31(1)(b) of Law 6458 allows a short-term residence permit for foreigners who own real estate in Turkey, and since Law 7533 of 21 November 2024 Article 31(6) states that the Ministry determines the nature and value of the qualifying property. The migration authority’s document list for short-term permits states that a home’s value must be at least the Turkish lira equivalent of USD 200,000 on the acquisition date and that the home must be used as a residence and not rented out or used for income. The permit is decided by the migration authority, and Article 31(2) caps each grant at two years.
Citizenship by investment is a separate procedure. Article 12(1)(b) of Law 5901 provides for citizenship by Presidential decision for holders of a residence permit under Article 31(1)(j) of Law 6458, together with the spouse and children. Article 20(2)(b) of the implementing regulation sets the property option: at least USD 400,000 or the foreign-currency equivalent in a unit with kat mülkiyeti or kat irtifakı or a plot with a building, bought with an annotation that it will not be sold for three years, or a notarised promise to sell with the full amount paid in advance and a three-year undertaking annotated.
| Point | Residence permit by property | Citizenship by property |
|---|---|---|
| Legal basis | Law 6458, Art. 31(1)(b) and (6) | Law 5901, Art. 12(1)(b); Regulation, Art. 20(2)(b) |
| Value test | At least USD 200,000 in lira on the acquisition date, per the migration authority’s list | At least USD 400,000 or equivalent, at the Central Bank effective selling rate or cross rate on the determination date |
| Property type | Nature set by the Ministry; must be a residence used by the foreigner | Unit with kat mülkiyeti or kat irtifakı, or a plot with a building |
| Holding condition | Not rented or used for income, per the list | Three-year no-sale annotation, or a three-year no-transfer undertaking for a promise to sell |
| Who decides | The migration authority | The President, after a conformity certificate from the Ministry of Environment, Urbanisation and Climate Change |
The history of the citizenship figure matters. Decision 5554 (Official Gazette 31834, 13 May 2022) raised the property amount from USD 250,000 to USD 400,000, and Decision 7938 (Official Gazette 32397, 12 December 2023) narrowed the qualifying property to a unit with kat mülkiyeti or kat irtifakı or a plot with a building. Article 20(10) of the regulation requires the foreign currency to be sold to a bank in Turkey before the transaction, and Article 20(8) allows transitions between investment types. The procedure rules issued by the population authority describe three steps: a conformity certificate from the determining body, a residence permit under Article 31(1)(j), and the citizenship application, handled in Ankara and Istanbul by joint offices, and they provide for cancellation if the conditions are lost during the holding period.
A price on a listing card is not a valuation; the valuation report, the payment route and the determining body decide whether a unit qualifies. Five of the ten dollar-priced projects on this site have card entry prices of USD 400,000 or more; the project-by-project comparison is on the Türkiye country page linked above, and the procedures are on the citizenship and immigration page, the Turkish citizenship by investment page and the Turkey residence permit guide. Separately, under Article 80 of Income Tax Law 193, gains on property sold within five years of acquisition are taxable.
Which provinces do foreign buyers choose, according to official statistics?
The Turkish Statistical Institute (TÜİK) publishes monthly housing sales by province and by the nationality of the buyer. The data count homes without separating flats from houses, so they show where foreigners register purchases, not where apartment stock is. The latest bulletin before 11 November 2026 covers September 2026 and was reported on 16 October 2026. The figures below come from news agencies reporting the bulletins, and the shares are calculated here.
| Period | Foreign buyers, Turkey | Istanbul | Antalya | Mersin | Ankara | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Calendar year 2025 | 21,534 homes (down 9.4% on 2024; 1.3% of sales) | 7,989 (37.1%) | 7,118 (33.1%) | 1,800 (8.4%) | n/a | Daily Sabah with Anadolu Agency, 22 January 2026 |
| September 2026 | 2,167 homes (up 9.9% on September 2025; 1.5% of sales) | 817 (37.7%) | 664 (30.6%) | 155 (7.2%) | 106 (4.9%) | Homesoverseas, 19 October 2026; national figures also in Cumhuriyet |
| January to September 2026 | 15,308 homes (down 4.3% on the same period of 2025) | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | Cumhuriyet, 16 October 2026 |
The arithmetic is straightforward: in 2025 Istanbul 7,989 plus Antalya 7,118 plus Mersin 1,800 is 16,907 homes, 78.5% of the national 21,534; in September 2026 the four provinces named, 817 plus 664 plus 155 plus 106, add up to 1,742, or 80.4% of 2,167. Istanbul and Antalya alone account for 70.2% of the 2025 total ((7,989 + 7,118) ÷ 21,534) and 68.3% of September 2026 ((817 + 664) ÷ 2,167).
No official source read for this guide ranks districts by apartment stock for foreigners, so the guide does not. Prices across Turkish cities are compared in the guide to the cheapest and most expensive cities in Turkey, and price per square metre by Istanbul district is on the Istanbul city page.
Can an apartment be let to tourists?
Law 7464 (Official Gazette 32357, 2 November 2023) governs lettings of homes to guests for up to 100 days. Article 3 requires a permit before the first letting, and for a flat the application must include a decision taken by all owners of the building by a unanimous vote accepting tourism letting. In a building with more than three units the same owner can hold permits for at most 25% of the units, and above five units in one building the application needs a business licence.
Article 3(10) makes an exception for high-quality residences operating under a management plan. The fines in the 2023 text are TRY 100,000 per home, TRY 500,000 if the violation continues and TRY 1,000,000 for continuing without a permit or for repeated lettings beyond 100 days. The residence-permit rule above, which bars letting a home used for the permit, points the other way, so the two purposes cannot be combined for the same flat. The Airbnb law guide covers the later regulation and the Constitutional Court decision.
What this site lists: apartments for sale in Turkey by project
As of 11 November 2026 the site lists 11 apartment projects in Turkey, all in Istanbul. The table gives each project, the district on its listing page, the size range and the price range as shown on the listing card, with the currency. Prices are those shown per the listing page, as of 11 Nov 2026; Hayat Vision is priced in Turkish lira, the others in US dollars. The last column repeats what each listing page says about permits and status, which is exactly what the rules above ask a buyer to check.
| Project (listing page) | District per the listing page | Size range | Price range on the card | Status as stated on the listing page |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Referans Beşiktaş | Beşiktaş (Abbasağa) | 65 to 565 m² | USD 600,000 to 2,863,000 | Under construction per the developer’s report to 30 September 2026; revised floor easements registered 20 July 2023; no delivery date |
| Referans Göktürk | Göktürk | 112 to 536 m² | USD 495,000 to 1,190,000 | Floor easements established 20 March 2024; permits dated 2 October 2023; no occupancy permit reported |
| JW Marriott Residences Tarabya | Tarabya (Sarıyer) | 38 to 398 m² | USD 355,000 to 3,898,000 | Status not stated on the official site |
| City Residences Bomonti | Bomonti (Şişli) | 68 to 242 m² | USD 684,000 to 3,700,000 | Title and permit status not shown |
| Hayat Vision | Pendik (Kurtköy) | 79 to 256 m² | TRY 5,920,000 to 23,370,000 | No occupancy permit document found |
| Modasehir Residences | Ataşehir | 88 to 1,108 m² | USD 590,000 to 8,283,000 | First owners moved in April 2025 per Anadolu Agency; no official date |
| Marina Residences | Beylikdüzü | 125 to 225 m² | USD 260,000 to 496,000 | Title status not shown |
| Evler Residences | Ümraniye (Yamanevler) | 74 to 460 m² | USD 370,000 to 2,200,000 | Construction completed in 2024 per the developer group; no occupancy permit shown |
| Maslak Vision | Maslak (Sarıyer) | 75 to 119 m² | USD 394,000 to 706,000 | No occupancy permit document found |
| Benlexa | Acıbadem (Üsküdar) | 62 to 297 m² | USD 447,000 to 2,600,000 | No occupancy permit found |
| Beneglow | Bahçelievler | 64 to 234 m² | USD 313,000 to 1,079,000 | No schedule shown |
Under Law 3194 the occupancy permit defines completion, and under Law 634 it supports the move from floor easement to condominium ownership; a construction year on a listing does not replace either document. Further Istanbul checks, such as districts, transport and building age, are on the Istanbul apartment page and the Istanbul city page linked above.
What is the due-diligence checklist for an apartment in Turkey?
The checklist below turns the rules above into documents and questions for the day before signing. Each row names the document, where it comes from and what to read.
| Document or question | Where it comes from | What to read | Rule |
|---|---|---|---|
| Title record | Land registry | Owner, unit and parcel numbers, land share, title type, mortgages, attachments, annotations | Law 634, Arts. 3, 5, 14 |
| Occupancy permit | Municipality that issued the licence | Date, scope (whole building or parts), match with the unit | Law 3194, Arts. 30 and 31 |
| Floor easement or unit ownership | Land registry | Whether the building has been converted; if not, why | Law 634, Arts. 3 and 12 |
| Risk and zoning annotations | Land registry | Risky-structure entry; zoning-breach entry | Law 6306, Art. 3(2); Law 3194, Art. 32 |
| Management plan | Registry file or building manager | Cost split, use rules, short-let clause, shared facilities, date of the plan | Law 634, Arts. 20, 28 |
| Manager’s statement of dues | Building manager | Unpaid service charges and any pending court case or statutory mortgage | Law 634, Arts. 20 and 22 |
| Pre-information form and contract | Seller | Net and gross area, licence date, delivery date, security, price and VAT treatment | Law 6502, Arts. 40 to 42 |
| Completion security | Seller | Insurance or other security if the project is above the threshold | Law 6502, Art. 42 |
| Valuation report | Licensed valuation firm via the registry | Market value, date, validity of three months | Circular 2019/1 |
| DASK policy | Insurer | Valid on the transaction date, unit and sum insured | Law 6305, Arts. 10 and 11 |
| Currency and payment route | Seller and bank | Currency of the contract and, for citizenship, the sale of foreign currency to a bank | Regulation, Art. 20(10) |
| Intended use | Own plans | Residence permit (no letting), citizenship (annotation), holiday letting (unanimity) | Law 6458, Art. 31; Law 7464, Art. 3 |
What are the common mistakes when buying apartments for sale in Turkey?
The mistakes below come from the rules in this guide, each in the form a reader can check against a document.
- Treating a promise as ownership. A notarised promise to sell or a private contract does not transfer ownership; the official deed and registration do.
- Paying before a valid contract. For off-plan sales Article 41 of Law 6502 bars any payment demand before a valid contract, and Article 40 bars the contract before the building licence.
- Reading the card instead of the register. A year of construction on a listing is not an occupancy permit; the record at the registry and the municipality’s permit are the evidence.
- Ignoring the land share. The share decides the cost split and the vote, and the management plan records the rest.
- Missing annotations. Risky-structure and zoning-breach entries sit in the annotations column, not in the brochure.
- Mixing net and gross area. The 150 m² VAT line is measured on net area, so check which area the contract uses.
- Assuming VAT is included. The price list must say whether VAT is in the price and which licence date fixed the rate.
- Combining incompatible purposes. A home used for a residence permit cannot be let out, and holiday letting needs a permit and unanimous owner consent.
- Confusing holding periods. The citizenship annotation lasts three years, the Income Tax Law looks at five years, and the VAT exemption looks at three.
- Skipping the valuation and currency steps. A foreign buyer needs the valuation report, and the citizenship route needs the foreign currency to be sold to a bank before the transaction.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can foreigners buy apartments for sale in Turkey?
Yes. Under Article 35 of Land Registry Law 2644 a foreign individual from a country determined by the President can buy, within 10% of a district’s privately owned area and 30 hectares nationwide, and outside military and special security zones. No residence permit is required. As of 11 November 2026 this site lists 11 apartment projects, all in Istanbul.
How does a buyer become the owner of an apartment?
By signing an official deed at the land registry and having the transfer registered. For apartments for sale in Turkey the land registry’s guide says that a notarised promise to sell or a private contract does not transfer ownership. For a flat the title is kat mülkiyeti once the occupancy permit exists and kat irtifakı before that, under Law 634.
What is the difference between kat mülkiyeti and kat irtifakı?
Kat mülkiyeti is ownership of a unit in a completed building, registered on the approved project, the occupancy permit and the management plan. Kat irtifakı is a right on the shared land for units still to be built, registered on the project and the management plan, and it is converted on the strength of the occupancy permit.
How much are the title deed fees on apartments for sale in Turkey?
The title deed fee is 2% of the declared price from the buyer and 2% from the seller, on a base not below the municipal tax value (Law 492, Tariff 4). On a declared price of TRY 12,000,000 above the tax value, each side pays TRY 240,000. The registry adds service charges, and the valuation report and DASK policy are separate costs of buying apartments for sale in Turkey.
Is VAT charged on a new apartment?
On the first delivery of a new home, yes: for permits dated on or after 1 April 2022 the rate is 10% on the first 150 m² of net area and 20% above it, per Decision 7346. Article 13(i) of Law 3065 exempts first deliveries to qualifying non-resident foreign buyers who bring the price in foreign currency, with a three-year condition.
Can a buyer withdraw from an off-plan purchase?
Yes, within limits. Article 43 of Law 6502 gives 14 days to withdraw, and Article 45 lets the consumer withdraw up to 24 months from the contract date, with compensation to the seller of up to 2%, 4%, 6% or 8% of the price depending on the period. Delivery must come within the contract period and never later than 48 months, so apartments for sale in Turkey sold off-plan carry a statutory outer limit.
Does a notarised sale promise make a buyer the owner?
No. It obliges the seller to sell, and ownership passes at the registry. The promise is the normal paper for an off-plan flat under Article 41 of Law 6502, and it attracts zero stamp duty under Law 488 Tariff I.A when drawn up in official form.
Is earthquake insurance compulsory for an apartment?
Yes. Article 10 of Law 6305 makes DASK compulsory for independent units under Law 634, renewable every year, and Article 11 stops the land registry from registering transactions for such units without a valid policy. For apartments for sale in Turkey the policy is therefore part of the purchase documents.
What is aidat, and what happens if it is not paid?
Aidat is the owner’s share of the building’s shared costs under the management plan and Article 20 of Law 634, mostly in proportion to the land share. Late payment carries a late fee of 5% per month, and under Article 22 a statutory mortgage on the unit secures unpaid shares.
Does buying an apartment in Turkey give residency or citizenship?
Not automatically. A short-term residence permit for a property owner is decided by the migration authority, and the migration authority’s list asks for a home value of at least USD 200,000 on the acquisition date and no letting. Citizenship needs property of at least USD 400,000 with a three-year no-sale annotation and a Presidential decision. Neither is promised by a purchase of apartments for sale in Turkey.
Can an apartment be let to tourists?
Only with a permit under Law 7464 and, for a flat in an ordinary building, a unanimous decision of all the building’s owners; lettings are limited to 100 days each, and the same owner can hold permits for at most 25% of the units in a building of more than three. High-standard residences with a management plan allowing short lettings are treated separately.
Where do foreigners buy most, according to official statistics?
TÜİK data reported by the press show Istanbul with 7,989 of 21,534 homes sold to foreigners in 2025 (37.1%) and Antalya with 7,118 (33.1%); in September 2026 the figures were 817 and 664 of 2,167. The data do not separate flats from houses, so they do not rank districts for apartments for sale in Turkey.
Sources and last check
Last checked: 11 November 2026. Sources:
- Land Registry Law 2644, Art. 35 (mevzuat.gov.tr)
- Condominium Law 634: Arts. 1 to 5, 8, 10, 12, 14, 16 to 20, 22, 23, 28 to 30, 33, 34, 44, 45, 66 to 69 (mevzuat.gov.tr)
- Zoning Law 3194, Arts. 30 to 32 (mevzuat.gov.tr)
- Consumer Protection Law 6502, Arts. 40 to 46 (mevzuat.gov.tr)
- Law 6305 on Disaster Insurances, Arts. 10 and 11 (mevzuat.gov.tr)
- Law 6306 on Transformation of Areas under Disaster Risk, Art. 3 (mevzuat.gov.tr)
- Law 7464 on tourism letting of homes (mevzuat.gov.tr)
- Fees Law 492, Tariff 4 (mevzuat.gov.tr)
- Stamp Duty Law 488, Tariff I.A (mevzuat.gov.tr)
- VAT Law 3065, Arts. 13(i) and 28 (mevzuat.gov.tr)
- Property Tax Law 1319, Arts. 5, 8, 30 and 42 to 44 (mevzuat.gov.tr)
- Income Tax Law 193, Art. 80 (mevzuat.gov.tr)
- Law on Foreigners and International Protection 6458, Art. 31 (mevzuat.gov.tr)
- Turkish Citizenship Law 5901, Art. 12 (mevzuat.gov.tr)
- Regulation on the Implementation of the Turkish Citizenship Law, Art. 20 (mevzuat.gov.tr)
- Official Gazette 32397, 12 December 2023, Decision 7938
- Official Gazette 31834, 13 May 2022, Decision 5554
- Official Gazette 32241, 7 July 2023, Decision 7346 on VAT rates
- Official Gazette 29188, 27 November 2014, regulation on pre-paid housing sales
- Official Gazette 31913, 4 August 2022, amendment to that regulation
- General Directorate of Population and Citizenship Affairs, procedure rules for investor citizenship
- TKGM guide to acquisition of real estate by foreigners (copy hosted by Konya Investment Support Office)
- Alomaliye, TKGM circular 1795 (2019/1) on valuation reports, 15 February 2019
- Ministry of Trade, announcement on the pre-paid housing sales regulation
- Alomaliye, VAT rates on housing deliveries from 10 July 2023
- Presidency of Migration Management, documents requested for short-term residence permits
- Daily Sabah with Anadolu Agency, 2025 house sales to foreigners (TÜİK)
- Cumhuriyet, TÜİK September 2026 housing sales to foreigners, 16 October 2026
- Homesoverseas, TÜİK September 2026 statistics by province
This is not legal, tax or financial advice.
