Buying in Türkiye Before 1 December: Contract Steps for the New Payment System
ByMulti Mulk Newsdesk·Published on:·5 min read
Anyone buying property in Türkiye whose title transfer is likely to fall on or after 1 December 2026 should now be reading their payment clauses closely. That is the date from which the secure payment system becomes mandatory, under which the sale price sits in a blocked bank account until the land registry transfer is complete. This guide covers what the system does, how it changes the mechanics of a purchase, and what a buyer can sensibly check while details are still being set. Our earlier note on the 1 December date covers the announcement; this piece is about the practical steps.
What the system does
According to a memorandum by Acar & Ergönen Attorney Partnership published by Legal 500, the buyer pays the price into a blocked account rather than to the seller. When the transfer is completed at the General Directorate of Land Registry and Cadastre (TKGM), the money is credited to the seller automatically and simultaneously. If the transfer does not take place for any reason, the price is refunded to the buyer.
The memo also describes the intended benefits: no carrying of cash to the land registry office, less exposure to counterfeit notes or part-payment, and a clearer record of the price actually paid, which makes under-declared prices easier to spot.
Who and what is covered
The same memo says the scope is broad. It is not limited to sales through estate agents; it also covers sales between individuals and sales involving companies. It applies to residential property, land plots, agricultural land and other real estate. What triggers it is the method of payment: where the price is to be paid in cash, by bank transfer or by electronic funds transfer, it goes through the system. Mondaq's summary adds that other payment methods may be determined by the Ministry of Trade in future.
Mortgage-financed purchases are treated differently. Where a bank or financing company funds all or part of the sale, use of the system is mandatory for payments other than the loan amount, and the loan itself continues to be transferred under the existing procedure.
The timeline has moved more than once
The sequence shows how provisional the date has been. From the Legal 500 memo:
- 9 January 2026: draft regulation opened for consultation, with a proposed start of 1 May 2026.
- 29 April 2026: the rule was published in the Official Gazette, with mandatory use from 1 July 2026.
- 26 June 2026: the Ministry postponed the start to 1 October 2026.
- 28 September 2026: the Ministry announced a reset to 1 December 2026.
The Legal 500 memo noted that the Ministry's power to extend is limited to three months, and that the amending regulation giving the new date had not yet been published. Mondaq, dated 7 October 2026, reports that it has: a Regulation Amending the Regulation on Real Estate Trade, published in the Official Gazette on 1 October 2026 (no. 33387), moved the mandatory date to 1 December 2026. The Legal 500 memo also refers to a pilot implementation, whose timeline it says should be monitored. Given four date changes this year, buyers should still confirm the position with their lawyer close to completion.
Practical steps for a buyer
The following points draw on the issues the memo raises, plus ordinary due-diligence practice. They are not legal advice, and the details depend on your transaction.
1. Work out when title will actually transfer
The relevant date is the transfer, not the signing of a reservation or preliminary agreement. A purchase agreed in October may still complete after 1 December. The memo advises aligning the payment provisions of promise-to-sell agreements and preliminary protocols with the system where transfer may fall on or after that date.
2. Check the payment clause
Look at how the contract describes payment. If it assumes cash handed over at the land registry, or a direct transfer to the seller's personal account on the day, ask your lawyer whether it needs rewriting. Staged payments to a developer before transfer are a separate question that a lawyer should address against the final procedures.
3. Agree who bears the usage fee
A usage fee is charged per transaction and, under the regulation, deducted from the amount passed to the seller. The Legal 500 memo says the amount had not been announced. It suggests the parties may agree separately how the fee is allocated between them. Putting that in writing avoids a dispute later.
4. If you are using a mortgage, plan the split
Because only the amount above the loan goes through the system, the buyer's own contribution and the bank's disbursement follow two routes. Ask the bank and your lawyer to confirm the order of events before the transfer appointment.
5. Keep the usual checks in place
A blocked account addresses payment risk. It does not verify that the seller owns the property, that the title is free of liens or encumbrances, that the valuation report is sound, or that a building has the right permits. Those checks remain the buyer's responsibility. Our due-diligence checklist and budgeting guide cover them.
Why it matters to foreign buyers
Many overseas buyers send funds from abroad, often in foreign currency, and may not be in the country for weeks before the transfer. A mechanism that ties payment to the registry's completion of the transfer removes one source of risk. It also leaves less room for informal arrangements, such as paying part of the price outside the contract, which the system is designed to expose. Buyers should expect the declared price and the paid price to match.
Buyers acting through a power of attorney should brief their representative early, since the documents and bank accounts involved will need to line up. The sources do not detail these procedures, so confirm them locally.
What remains unknown
The sources read do not give the amount of the usage fee or the pilot timetable. If either changes, the advice above may change with it.
Multi Mulk helps buyers with property purchases in Türkiye, and its investor protection work covers due diligence on title, valuation and contract terms. If you are considering a purchase that could complete around the new date, you can speak to an adviser about timing. For buyers weighing a purchase as part of a citizenship application, the Turkish citizenship by investment page explains how property fits into that route, though requirements change and should be checked at the time of application.
Sources
- Acar & Ergönen via Legal 500 — Secure Payment System In Real Estate Sales: What The New Regime Brings And The Implementation Timeline
- Mondaq — Mandatory Implementation Of The Secure Payment System For Real Estate Sales Postponed To 1 December 2026
Cover photo: mostafa_meraji on Pixabay.
