Legal information in English

The office

We provide legal advice and representation to individuals and businesses from our office in central Ayvalık. In every matter we explain the legal position, the available options, the time limits and the expected costs in plain terms, and we keep our clients informed as the matter progresses.

Meetings are held by appointment, either at the office or by video call (WhatsApp, Google Meet or Zoom) for clients who are not in Ayvalık. Legal consultations are charged: for meetings at the office the fee can be paid at the office, while for video or telephone consultations it must be paid before the meeting. Attorney Mert Bayur works in English at an advanced (C) level. Proceedings before Turkish courts and authorities are conducted in Turkish, so documents in other languages usually need a sworn translation.

• Attorney Mehmet Sağıroğlu, founding partner. Graduate of Dokuz Eylül University Faculty of Law, practising law for around forty years. Main areas: criminal law, enforcement and insolvency, company and commercial law.
• Attorney Mert Bayur, founding partner. Graduate of Yaşar University Faculty of Law. Main areas: enforcement and insolvency, criminal law and IT law.

Our practice areas are criminal law, employment law, contracts and obligations, family law, inheritance law, administrative law, commercial law, enforcement and insolvency law, and IT law.

Buying property in Türkiye

• Foreign nationals may acquire real estate in Türkiye subject to reciprocity and the limits set by Article 35 of the Land Registry Law. As a rule, a foreign individual may acquire up to 30 hectares nationwide, and property held by foreigners may not exceed 10% of the private land in a district. Property in military or security zones cannot be sold to foreigners.
• Ownership passes only by registration at the Land Registry Directorate (Tapu Müdürlüğü). A contract signed elsewhere, including a promise to sell made before a notary, does not by itself transfer ownership.
• For sales in which a foreign individual is the buyer or the seller, the land registry requires a valuation report prepared by an authorised appraiser. A Turkish tax number is also needed.
• Before paying, the title deed should be checked for mortgages, attachments and annotations, together with the zoning status of the plot. Many olive groves and plots around Ayvalık are held in shares (hisseli tapu); in that case the other co-owners have a statutory right of pre-emption when a share is sold to an outsider.
• A foreign individual who buys undeveloped land must submit a development project to the relevant ministry within the period set by law.

Residence permits for property owners

• Foreign nationals who own residential property in Türkiye may apply for a short-term residence permit on that basis (Law No. 6458 on Foreigners and International Protection, Article 31).
• Applications are started online through the e-İkamet system of the Presidency of Migration Management and completed at the provincial directorate.
• Minimum property value requirements and restrictions on new residence registrations in certain neighbourhoods apply and change from time to time. If a residence permit is one of the reasons for buying, these should be checked before the purchase.

Inheritance

• Turkish law governs the inheritance of immovable property located in Türkiye, whatever the nationality of the deceased (Law No. 5718 on International Private and Procedural Law, Article 20).
• Heirs prove their status with a certificate of inheritance (mirasçılık belgesi). Where the estate involves a foreign element, the certificate is generally obtained from the civil court of peace rather than from a notary.
• An heir may disclaim the inheritance by a declaration to the civil court of peace, as a rule within three months of learning of the death (Turkish Civil Code, Article 606).
• Foreign heirs acquiring immovable property by inheritance may be subject to the same restrictions that apply to purchases by foreigners.

Leases and short-term rentals

• For residential and roofed commercial leases, the rent increase at renewal may not exceed the twelve-month average change in the consumer price index. After five years, the rent may be re-determined by the court (Turkish Code of Obligations, Article 344).
• Renting out a residence for tourism purposes for periods of up to 100 days requires a permit from the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, obtained before any rental contract is made (Law No. 7464). In buildings with several units, the unanimous consent of the other owners is required. Renting without a permit is subject to administrative fines.
• A tenant can be evicted only on the grounds set out in the law, such as non-payment after a written warning, a written undertaking to vacate, or the owner's genuine need. Before most lease disputes can be taken to court, mandatory mediation must be attempted.

Powers of attorney and documents

• To be represented by a lawyer in Türkiye, a power of attorney is usually issued before a Turkish notary. If you are abroad, it can be issued at a Turkish consulate, or before a local notary with an apostille and a sworn Turkish translation.
• Foreign public documents such as birth, marriage and death certificates or court decisions generally need an apostille (or consular legalisation for countries outside the Apostille Convention) and a sworn translation.
• Official notifications from Turkish courts and authorities start time limits running. An electronic notification is deemed served at the end of the fifth day after it reaches the electronic address, even if it has not been opened (Notification Law, Article 7/a). Deadlines can be short, so any notification should be reviewed promptly.

Foreign divorce decisions and judgments

• Judgments given abroad take effect in Türkiye only after recognition, and can be enforced only after an enforcement (exequatur) decision of a Turkish court (Law No. 5718, Articles 50 and following).
• Certain foreign divorce decisions can be registered with the Turkish civil registry through an administrative procedure, without a court case (Law No. 5490, Article 27/A). Ancillary orders such as maintenance or custody still require an enforcement action.

Contact

Address

150 Evler Mah. 29 Mayıs Cad. 2. Sk. Gülay Apt. A Blok No: 10/1, Ayvalık / Balıkesir, Türkiye

Telephone

+90 266 312 43 47 · +90 266 312 47 43

WhatsApp

+90 532 773 06 17

E-mail

mertbayur@balikesir.av.tr · mehmetsagiroglu@balikesir.av.tr

This page provides general information and is not legal advice. Legislation and administrative practice change frequently, and every matter must be assessed on its own facts. The Turkish versions of laws and official documents prevail.