This article was inspired and written in order to help foreigners successfully buy land in Turkey and build their dream house. Turkey is a beautiful country with amazingly friendly people and a wonderful place to live or retire, but there are catches that can hit those who are unprepared, poorly researched or are letting their heart rule their head.
1. Research the area Before you make any move to buy land in Turkey you should really check out the area to see if it suitable for you. If you are retired or nearing retirement, are there good hospitals nearby? Are the travel links good back to the UK? Can you afford to live in the area?
2. Talk to other foreigners in the area! This seems so obvious but so many times logic seems to go out the window when you are out in the sun. Search out other foreigners who have successfully made the jump before you. Get the real long story from years of living there - not their initial feelings. Get to know foreigners who have lived in the area for many years. Check out the bad side as well as the good side
3. Select local partners you can trust In some ways buying land in Turkey is extremely easy, for example, you can literally go to the regional land registry office, change the title deeds, and complete a sale within a single day. I know this first hand, as I have done exactly this! However, before jumping in and doing anything so rash, you have to find and work with local trusted partners. If you are British, the local embassy or consulate will have a list of English-speaking Turkish lawyers available on their web site. This is a good start, but do not forget your local contacts recommended from talking to other foreigners in your area. They are often the best contacts to select and work with on a land purchase. Most transactions in Turkey can be made legal through the local Notary office, and they have sworn translators who will translate the appropriate documents and contracts for you. In our case, we selected a Turkish architect, whose English-speaking son handles most of the agreements for signing and arranging translation at the Notary office.
4. Check the status of the Tapu The Tapu (deeds in Turkish) is the single most important document in the whole process of buying land in Turkey. On the tapu you have all the details of the parcel of land, giving its location, plot number, number of square metres, and a simple map of the land. It also has the name(s) of the owner, or the Turkish company if it is a developer. If you are buying in a town or city that has a "Implementary Development Plan" (Uygulama Imar Plani in Turkish) or a "Local Development Plan" (Mevzii Imar Plani in Turkish), you can request to see the town map showing all the plots. This is easily the easiest land to buy, as foreigners can buy land and have their names on the Tapu. If however you want to buy in a rural village that does not have an "Implementary Development Plan" (Uygulama Imar Plani in Turkish) or a "Local Development Plan" (Mevzii Imar Plani in Turkish), only Turkish citizens or Turkish companies can buy land or property. For example, this is the case for Orhaniye, where we live, and all the other villages on the Bozburun Peninsula.
5. Understand the whole purchasing process Apart from the major detail of where the land is, the other step in the purchasing process that often surprises foreigners is the military checks that have to happen. In this case, the military checks that the land is not in any military sensitive area and ok to purchase. This is not normally a problem, as your local contacts will quickly tell you if there have been any issues with anybody else in the area. However, this process often takes several months and is a necessary part of the process. Your lawyer and contacts can explain the exact steps involved as this process often changes so a briefing by a local is invaluable
Don't be put off by this article! Turkey remains a beautiful country with incredibly friendly people, but you should be aware that the process is different from what you may be used to in your own country. It may sound daunting but it is a logical process. For example, we have bought three plots in Orhaniye, a village on the Bozburun peninsula, with no problems.
