Turkish law guides for foreigners

These Turkish law guides give foreigners a practical starting point for common questions about property, immigration, family, criminal, inheritance, yacht and visitor matters. Each guide is written by Av. Seyfullah Yanatma, dated and based on the legal sources identified on that page.

24 guides

Buying property in Turkey
Step-by-step guide for foreign buyers covering Article 35 limits, Tapu, valuation, deposits, iskan, security zones and official transfer fees.
Selling property in Turkey
A practical guide to selling Turkish property from Turkey or abroad, including SPK valuation, title-deed fees, tax checks, inherited title and payment records.
Title deeds & Web Tapu
A practical guide to Web Tapu, e-Devlet, Tapu Kadastro and Parsel Sorgu, including foreign-owner login, title types, annotations, appointments and transfer fees.
Iskan & habitation certificate
Learn what a Turkish iskan certifies, how to obtain and check the municipal file, how it relates to kat mülkiyeti and kat irtifakı, and what illegal additions can mean.
Buying land in Turkey
A foreign-buyer checklist for Turkish land: Article 35 limits, development obligations, imar status, agricultural and coastal restrictions, military zones, permits and Fethiye-area due diligence.
Off-plan property in Turkey
A practical, sourced guide to buying before completion in Turkey, with developer, title, building licence, payment, delivery, consumer-law and iskan checks.
Property taxes in Turkey
A sourced overview of Turkish property taxes and transaction costs, including title-deed fees, annual emlak vergisi, VAT exemptions, rent, sale gains and inheritance.
Turkey residence permit
How Turkish residence permits work: choose a category, use e-İkamet, prepare documents, attend the appointment, track the result and renew lawfully.
How to get Turkish citizenship
A plain-English route map for Turkish citizenship, covering five-year naturalisation, marriage, investment, descent, Mavi Kart, dual nationality, military questions and passports.
Entry-ban codes
A source-led guide to Turkey restriction codes, G-87, overstay fines, official checks through consulates and Göç İdaresi, and next steps for visitors abroad or in Fethiye.
Arrested in Turkey
A practical guide to arrest, police custody, lawyers, interpreters, consular notification, judicial control, prison and deportation risk in Turkey.
Drug laws in Turkey
A practical guide to cannabis, CBD, prescription medicines, possession, trafficking, police custody, drug driving and immigration consequences for visitors.
Turkish laws for tourists
Practical guidance on the rules most likely to surprise visitors: antiquities, speech, photography, drones, ID, alcohol, vaping, gambling, customs and driving.
Divorce in Turkey
Understand Turkish divorce grounds, the one-year agreed route, court procedure, custody, child and spousal maintenance, marital property and cross-border issues.
Foreign divorce recognition
Learn when a foreign divorce can be recorded directly in Turkey, when a court case is needed, which documents and formalities matter, and why recognition affects status, property and inheritance.
Getting married in Turkey
A practical guide to Turkish civil marriage for foreign couples, including Fethiye applications, documents, apostille, translations, certificates, recognition and legal property choices.
Inheritance in Turkey
A practical guide to Turkish inheritance law for foreign heirs, including the tax return, reserved shares, succession certificate and property transfer.
Making a will in Turkey
Learn which Turkish will form may fit, whether a foreign will can cover Turkish property, how to store it and how reserved shares limit gifts.
Power of attorney
A practical guide to Turkish vekaletname documents for property, inheritance, court and administrative work, including options for clients abroad.
Yachting transit log
A practical guide to Turkey’s Yacht Registration Form, foreign-flag yacht wintering, waste rules, owner and crew immigration, and commercial charter limits.
Rent increases in Turkey
A practical guide to Turkey's TBK Article 344 rent-increase formula, the temporary 25% cap, five-year rent determination, foreign-currency leases and dispute steps.
Car accident in Turkey
A practical guide for visitors and residents covering the accident scene, reports, rental vehicles, insurance claims, drink-driving, criminal proceedings and deadlines.
Tour & activity accidents
How visitors should respond after a paragliding, cable-car, boat, jeep-safari, quad or water-sports accident around Fethiye and Ölüdeniz.
Lawyer fees in Turkey
A plain-English guide to Turkish lawyer fees, written agreements, VAT, court expenses, cost awards and the 2026 TBB minimum tariff.

Start with a Turkish-law topic

The guide collection starts with property questions: buying property in Turkey, selling property, title deeds and tapu, iskan, land, off-plan property and taxes. It also covers residence permits, citizenship, entry bans, arrest and drug-law questions, tourist law, divorce, marriage, foreign-divorce recognition, inheritance and wills.

Further guides address power of attorney in Turkey, yachting and transit logs, rent increases, car accidents, tour and activity accidents in Fethiye, and lawyer fees in Turkey. The cards are the complete dated guide list; use a topic page as general information, then review the documents in an individual file.

How to use dated general information

Av. Yanatma writes each guide in plain English for readers unfamiliar with Turkish legal terminology. Legislation, official notices and administrative practice can change, and a general page cannot confirm which authority has competence for an address or case. Compare the guide with the current official source, then use the services directory if representation or document review may be needed.

The areas directory adds local context for Fethiye and nearby places. Foreign clients can read how to organise instructions from abroad on the foreign-client page, learn about Av. Yanatma’s background, and send a focused enquiry when dates and documents are ready.

Frequently asked questions

Who writes these Turkish law guides?

The guides are written by Av. Seyfullah Yanatma, an independent lawyer in Fethiye who works in English and Turkish. They explain Turkish legal terms and procedures for foreign homeowners, residents, visitors, yacht owners and other readers. The author line and updated date appear on each guide so a reader can identify its source and check whether newer information is needed.

Are these guides legal advice?

No. They are general information, not an assessment of a particular person’s rights, documents, deadline or likely result. Turkish law can turn on facts that a short article cannot see, and official procedures or figures can change. Use a guide to prepare questions and records, then obtain advice on the individual matter before taking an irreversible step.

How current are the Turkish law guides?

Every guide carries an updated date and identifies its legislation or official sources where relevant. A date shows when that page was reviewed; it does not guarantee that every authority, fee, threshold or procedure remains unchanged afterwards. Recheck the current official source and the responsible office, especially before relying on a deadline, amount, permit condition or filing requirement.

Which topics do the guides cover?

The collection covers buying and selling property, title deeds, iskan, land, off-plan purchases and property taxes; residence permits, citizenship and entry-ban codes; criminal and tourist questions; divorce, marriage, foreign divorce and inheritance; powers of attorney; yachting; rent increases; accidents; tour activities; and lawyer fees. Use the cards to open the guide closest to your question.

Talk to an English-speaking lawyer in Fethiye

Send a short WhatsApp message or call. Say what happened, where, and any deadline you have been given.

WhatsApp +90 531 507 41 44