Types of tapu in Turkey: how to read your title deed line by line

The Turkish title deed, or the “tapu” as everyone calls it, is the document that proves the property is yours. The problem is that many buyers receive it without knowing what it says, and later discover that their deed is “kat irtifakı” rather than “kat mülkiyeti”, or that it carries an encumbrance they did not notice. In this guide we explain the types, then read every field of the deed together.

The four main types

Kat mülkiyeti title deed (Kat Mülkiyeti)

This is the full title to a flat or independent unit in a completed building that has received its iskan (occupancy certificate). The deed identifies your specific unit: its number, floor and type. This is what you usually want when buying a ready flat, because it is the easiest to sell later and is accepted without question by banks and in residence and citizenship files.

Kat irtifakı title deed (Kat İrtifakı)

Issued for a unit in a building under construction, or completed but not yet granted an iskan. The deed is official and registered, but it gives you a right of construction on your share of the land. Once the iskan is issued, it is converted to kat mülkiyeti. Buying on this basis is very common in new projects, and we explain the difference in detail in the kat irtifakı and kat mülkiyeti guide.

Shared title deed (Hisseli Tapu)

Gives you an undivided share in a plot of land or a property together with other owners, without a specific unit being assigned to you. The risk is that using, selling or dividing the property requires the co-owners to agree, and in many cases they have a right of first refusal if one of them sells their share. We do not recommend this type to foreigners without a careful legal review.

Land title deed (Arsa or Tarla)

“Arsa” is land within a zoning plan that allows building, and “Tarla” is agricultural land that, in principle, cannot be built on. The difference in price and in what you are allowed to do is large, so check the imar durumu (zoning status, İmar Durumu) with the municipality before buying.

How to read the deed field by field

Whether the deed is on paper or electronic via e-Devlet (the Turkish government portal), you will find the following fields:

1. Province, district and neighbourhood (İl / İlçe / Mahalle): the administrative location of the property. Make sure it matches what you were told, as some listings name a well-known nearby neighbourhood instead of the actual one.
2. Block and parcel (Ada / Parsel): the plot’s two numbers in the land register, and the key to looking up the property on the tapu maps and at the municipality.
3. Type (Nitelik): a description of the property, such as “Betonarme Apartman” for a reinforced-concrete apartment building, “Arsa” for land, or “Mesken” for a residential unit. A property-based residence permit requires the property to be residential.
4. Land share (Arsa Payı): your unit’s share of the land, expressed as a fraction.
5. Unit number and floor (Bağımsız Bölüm No / Kat): these identify your flat within the building. Compare them with the flat you actually viewed.
6. Owner (Malik): the owner’s name as in their passport or ID. It must match the name of the seller signing with you.
7. Reason and date of acquisition (Edinme Sebebi / Tarih): for example “Satış”, meaning sale, with the date and entry number.

Encumbrances: the most important field after the owner’s name

Under the heading of annotations, declarations and mortgages, any encumbrances on the property appear:

• Mortgage (İpotek): a debt secured on the property, usually a bank loan. It must be released before the sale or at the same appointment.
• Attachment (Haciz): a court or tax lien because of a debt owed by the owner. A property under attachment must not be bought until it is lifted.
• Annotations (Şerh): notes such as a registered lease, a pre-emption right or an undertaking not to sell.
• Declarations (Beyan): information such as the building’s management rules or the existence of a violation.

We check this field for every property we offer, and we recommend that you review it too as part of the pre-purchase checklist.

The electronic deed and the e-Devlet portal

Once the sale is completed, the property is registered in your name in the electronic tapu system, and you can view your ownership record via the e-Devlet portal or Web Tapu whenever you like. Even so, keep a copy of the paper deed and of the official sale contract, as some authorities still ask for them.

Summary

• For ready flats: ask for kat mülkiyeti and check that there is an iskan (occupancy certificate).
• For new projects: kat irtifakı is acceptable, provided the contract is clear about when the iskan will be issued.
• Avoid shared title and agricultural land unless you have taken legal advice first.
• Read the encumbrances field before making any payment.

We send our clients a copy of the deed and the encumbrance record before the reservation, and explain every field. Contact us if you have a deed you would like us to read with you.