Keyholders International

How to Avoid Property Fraud in Turkey: Checks Before You Pay

To avoid property fraud in Turkey, check three things before you pay anything: that the seller is the owner on the official title record, that your agent holds a real estate authorisation certificate, and that your money moves through a bank to the right party, never as cash. An independent lawyer should check the title and the contract. From 1 December 2026, sale prices paid in cash, by bank transfer or by EFT must also go through Turkey's new Secure Payment System.

How do you check the title deed and the owner?

The title deed (tapu) record kept by the General Directorate of Land Registry and Cadastre (TKGM) is the proof of ownership; a photo or copy of a deed is not.

  • Ask the seller to show the record from their own account on e-Devlet (TKGM's "Tapu Bilgileri Sorgulama" service) or TKGM's Web Tapu portal, and compare the name and unit with their passport or ID and the contract.
  • Have your lawyer obtain the current title record and check it for mortgages, annotations (şerh), seizures and co-owners.
  • TKGM's public Parsel Sorgu map shows where a parcel is, but TKGM states its results are for information only and cannot be used in official transactions.

Our guide to the tapu transfer process explains each step at the land registry.

How do you check that an estate agent is licensed?

Under Turkey's Regulation on Real Estate Trade (Taşınmaz Ticareti Hakkında Yönetmelik), estate agencies must hold a real estate trade authorisation certificate (taşınmaz ticareti yetki belgesi) from the Ministry of Trade. Ask the agent for the certificate number: the Ministry says it can be checked on its certificate query page, and that since 1 January 2025 businesses without a certificate cannot post listings on property platforms. The certificate number of Keyholders International is 4800795; our About us page explains who we are.

Why use an independent lawyer?

A lawyer is not compulsory, but one who acts only for you, not for the seller or developer, can check the title, zoning and permits, review the contract and attend the land registry with you. Choose the lawyer yourself rather than taking the seller's suggestion.

What are the risks of a power of attorney?

A notarised power of attorney lets someone sign at the land registry in your name, so you need not travel. Use it carefully:

  • Give it only to a lawyer or person you trust, limited to the specific property and the acts needed, without wording that also allows selling, mortgaging or receiving money.
  • If the seller uses an attorney, have your lawyer check that the power of attorney is valid and covers this sale.
  • Revoke it at a notary once it is no longer needed.

See our guide on using a power of attorney.

How should you pay?

  • Never pay large sums in cash or into the personal account of an agent, a middleman or anyone other than the seller or developer.
  • Pay through a bank. Foreign buyers must show the land registry a foreign-currency conversion document (Döviz Alım Belgesi, DAB), proving that foreign currency was sold to a bank in Turkey before the sale.
  • Pay a deposit only against a written contract that names the property, the price and what happens to the deposit if the sale fails.

Turkey's Secure Payment System

Under amendments to the Regulation on Real Estate Trade published in the Official Gazette on 29 April 2026 and 1 October 2026, from 1 December 2026 any part of a sale price paid in cash, by bank transfer (havale) or by EFT must go through a payment system designed so that ownership and the price change hands at the same time. The part financed by a bank loan is excluded, and the Ministry of Trade says the system aims to reduce the risk of fraud and forgery. The usage fee, deducted from the seller's proceeds, and any exempt sales are to be set in a protocol that had not been published as of 12 November 2026.

What extra checks apply to off-plan property?

  • Check that the project has a building permit (yapı ruhsatı) and that the developer owns the land or has the right to build on it.
  • Off-plan units usually carry kat irtifakı (construction servitude), which becomes kat mülkiyeti (full condominium title) only after the occupancy permit (iskân) is issued. For a completed home, check that the iskân exists.
  • Expect a notarised sales promise contract (satış vaadi sözleşmesi) with a clear completion date and payments linked to progress.

Do you need a valuation report and a translator?

Since 9 December 2024, the land registry no longer requires a licensed valuation report for an ordinary purchase by a foreigner (it still does for citizenship), but an independent report can show whether the price is in line with the market; see our guide to hidden costs and valuation reports. If you do not speak Turkish, a sworn translator must attend the signing at the tapu office: make sure they explain everything you sign, including the declared price.

Which red flags should make you stop?

  • A price far below similar homes, with pressure to pay a deposit at once.
  • A seller who will not show the title record or let your lawyer check the documents.
  • Requests to pay in cash, into a personal or foreign account, or to a third party.
  • An agent who cannot give an authorisation certificate number.
  • Offers to "speed up" the land registry for a fee, or requests for your e-Devlet password.

Frequently asked questions

Can I check who owns a property in Turkey?

Ask the seller to show the record on e-Devlet or Web Tapu, and have your lawyer obtain the current title record.

How do I know an estate agent is genuine?

Ask for the authorisation certificate number and check it on the Ministry of Trade's query page.

Is it safe to buy through a power of attorney?

It can be, if it goes to someone you trust, is limited to the purchase and is revoked afterwards.

Can I pay the seller in cash?

Avoid it. From 1 December 2026, cash, bank transfer and EFT payments must go through the Secure Payment System.

Buying in Turkey?

Browse our properties in Turkey, read the buyer guide or contact us.

Sources (checked November 2026)

Updated: November 2026

This guide is general information, not legal advice. Rules change, so confirm the current position with an independent lawyer before you pay.