Types of Title Deeds in Türkiye: Kat Mülkiyeti, Kat İrtifakı & Arsa Tapusu Explained (2026)
Understanding Title Deeds in Türkiye Before You Buy Property
When buying property in Türkiye, one of the first documents you will encounter is the Tapu — the Turkish title deed.
For foreign buyers, however, simply seeing a title deed is not enough.
Two apartments may look almost identical, be located in similar buildings and have similar asking prices, yet their official property status can be different.
You may hear terms such as:
- Kat Mülkiyeti
- Kat İrtifakı
- Arsa Tapusu
- Bağımsız Bölüm
- İskan
These Turkish terms can initially sound complicated, but understanding the basic differences is extremely useful before buying a property.
In this 2026 guide, we explain the main title deed and ownership concepts foreign buyers are likely to encounter in Türkiye, what they generally mean and what should be checked before completing a purchase.
What Is a TAPU in Türkiye?
Tapu is the commonly used Turkish term for a title deed.
It relates to the official registration of ownership in Türkiye's land registry system.
A title deed and the underlying official registry information can contain important details about the property, including:
- Province
- District
- Neighbourhood
- Block number (Ada)
- Parcel number (Parsel)
- Independent section information where applicable
- Registered owner
- Ownership share
- Registered property characteristics
However, a buyer should not evaluate a property only by looking at a photograph or copy of the Tapu.
The current official records, legal status of the property and relevant building documentation should also be checked.
For a broader overview of the paperwork involved in a purchase, see our complete guide to the documents needed to buy property in Türkiye.
The Three Terms Foreign Buyers Should Understand
Foreign buyers will commonly hear three expressions when discussing property ownership:
- Kat Mülkiyeti – condominium ownership
- Kat İrtifakı – construction servitude / condominium servitude
- Arsa Tapusu – land title deed
These are not interchangeable terms.
They describe different legal and registration situations and should be understood in the context of the particular property.
1. What Is Kat Mülkiyeti?
Kat Mülkiyeti is the ownership structure most buyers expect to see when purchasing an individual apartment or another independent section in a completed building.
In practical terms, the independent section is registered within the condominium ownership system.
For example, a title deed may identify a specific:
- Building or block
- Floor
- Apartment or independent section number
- Ownership share connected with that unit
For someone purchasing a completed apartment in Alanya, Kat Mülkiyeti is therefore an important term to recognise.
However, buyers should still avoid the assumption that the words “Kat Mülkiyeti” alone guarantee that absolutely everything concerning the property is problem-free.
Other matters may still need to be checked, including mortgages, liens, annotations, restrictions, municipal information and whether the physical property corresponds with its official records.
2. What Is Kat İrtifakı?
Kat İrtifakı is generally associated with the legal structure created for independent sections of a building project before the property reaches the final condominium ownership stage.
It allows planned independent sections to be connected with the underlying land and registered within the project structure.
This is particularly relevant in:
- Properties under construction
- New developments
- Buildings that have been completed physically but where the registration process has not yet reached Kat Mülkiyeti
This last situation is particularly important for buyers.
A building may appear completely finished, occupied and functioning normally while its title deed still shows Kat İrtifakı.
Therefore, the buyer should not make a decision based only on the appearance of the building.
Is a Kat İrtifakı Property Automatically a Problem?
No.
The existence of Kat İrtifakı does not by itself mean that the property is unsafe, illegal or unsuitable for purchase.
Many legitimate developments begin with this ownership structure.
The important question is why the property still has Kat İrtifakı status and what the current legal and administrative position of the building is.
For a completed building, buyers may want to establish matters such as:
- Whether the building has been completed according to the approved project
- Whether an occupancy permit exists where applicable
- Whether the independent section corresponds with the approved project
- Whether there are outstanding administrative issues
- Whether conversion to Kat Mülkiyeti has been completed or is expected
These questions are considerably more useful than simply asking, “Is Kat İrtifakı good or bad?”
Kat İrtifakı vs Kat Mülkiyeti: What Is the Main Difference?
The easiest way for an international buyer to understand the distinction is this:
Kat İrtifakı is generally connected with the project and construction-stage ownership structure, while Kat Mülkiyeti represents the condominium ownership structure for completed independent sections.
But the real-world situation of a building should always be checked individually.
A buyer should look at the title deed together with the project's building documentation rather than treating one word on the Tapu as the entire legal due diligence process.
What Is an Occupancy Permit (İskan)?
Another term frequently heard together with Kat İrtifakı and Kat Mülkiyeti is İskan.
İskan is commonly used to refer to the building occupancy permit.
It is an important document in understanding whether a completed building has passed the relevant administrative process for use.
Foreign buyers sometimes confuse the following three concepts:
- Tapu
- Kat Mülkiyeti
- İskan
They are related, but they are not the same thing.
The Tapu concerns registered ownership. Kat Mülkiyeti describes a particular condominium ownership status. İskan concerns the building's occupancy/use approval.
For this reason, a professional property check should consider these matters together where relevant.
Can Kat İrtifakı Change to Kat Mülkiyeti?
Yes. A property registered within a Kat İrtifakı structure may later move to Kat Mülkiyeti once the applicable requirements and registration procedures have been completed.
This is a normal part of the lifecycle of many development projects.
However, buyers should not simply assume that every Kat İrtifakı property will automatically convert immediately.
If you are considering a completed property that still shows Kat İrtifakı, ask why the conversion has not yet occurred and check the current building documentation.
3. What Is an Arsa Tapusu?
Arsa means land.
An Arsa Tapusu therefore relates to ownership registered as land rather than an individual condominium unit registered under Kat Mülkiyeti.
This distinction is extremely important.
If someone shows you an apartment or villa but the ownership documentation relates only to a share in a parcel of land, you need to understand exactly what you are legally purchasing.
Owning a share of land and owning a separately registered independent apartment are not necessarily the same legal position.
Does an Arsa Tapusu Mean There Is No Building?
Not necessarily.
A building may physically exist on land even though the ownership registration presented to the buyer does not identify the property as an individual condominium unit.
This is exactly why physical appearance should never replace official property checks.
A beautiful apartment, villa or building can exist physically while the underlying registration situation requires closer examination.
Why Should Buyers Be More Careful With an Arsa Tapusu?
If you intend to purchase a particular apartment or villa but are being offered a land share, several questions become important:
- What exactly is registered in the Land Registry?
- What ownership share are you purchasing?
- Is the building legally registered?
- Is there an approved project?
- Does your intended unit correspond with official records?
- Are there other shareholders?
- What rights are attached to your share?
- Can the property later obtain an individual condominium title?
This does not mean that every property involving land ownership is automatically unsuitable.
It means that the legal structure must be understood before money is committed.
What Is a Bağımsız Bölüm?
Bağımsız Bölüm means an independent section.
In an apartment building, this commonly refers to an individually identifiable unit such as an apartment, office or commercial premises.
The independent section information is important because the buyer needs to confirm that the unit being viewed and purchased corresponds with the unit identified in the official documentation.
For example, buyers should not rely only on statements such as:
“This is apartment number 12.”
The relevant registered independent section and project information should correspond with the actual property being sold.
What Information Should You Check on a Turkish Title Deed?
Before purchasing, buyers should review more than the owner's name.
Depending on the property, important information may include:
- Correct registered owner
- Province, district and neighbourhood
- Ada and Parsel numbers
- Independent section number
- Property description
- Ownership share
- Land share
- Kat Mülkiyeti or Kat İrtifakı status where applicable
- Mortgages
- Liens
- Annotations
- Restrictions affecting the property
The exact checks depend on the property and transaction.
Our Property Buying Checklist in Alanya explains the wider due diligence buyers should consider before paying a deposit or completing a purchase.
Does Kat Mülkiyeti Guarantee That a Property Is Safe to Buy?
No single document should be treated as a complete guarantee.
Kat Mülkiyeti can be an important positive element when evaluating a completed apartment, but the buyer should still check the wider legal and commercial position.
For example:
- Is the person selling the property the registered owner?
- Is there a mortgage?
- Is there a lien or annotation?
- Does the apartment correspond with its official records?
- Are there property-related debts or obligations that should be clarified?
- Are there alterations to the property that require further investigation?
Property due diligence is therefore broader than simply identifying the title deed type.
Which Title Deed Type Is Best for a Foreign Buyer?
There is no universal answer because the correct ownership structure depends on what you are buying.
If you are purchasing a completed individual apartment, a properly registered independent section under Kat Mülkiyeti is generally the straightforward structure buyers expect.
If you are purchasing in a development under construction, Kat İrtifakı may be part of the normal project structure.
If you are purchasing land, then land ownership is naturally relevant.
The warning sign is not simply a particular Turkish term.
The real warning sign is when the ownership structure does not match what the buyer believes they are purchasing.
Buying Off-Plan? Title Deed Status Becomes Even More Important
When buying a property during construction, the legal structure and project documentation require particular attention.
The buyer should understand:
- What is currently registered
- What exactly is being purchased
- How the independent section is identified
- When ownership transfer will occur
- What the developer is contractually required to deliver
- What is expected to happen when construction is completed
For a detailed discussion of this type of purchase, read our Buying Off-Plan Property in Alanya guide.
New Build vs Resale: Does the Title Deed Situation Differ?
It can.
A resale apartment in an established building may have a long-standing Kat Mülkiyeti registration, while a newly constructed property may still be moving through the project's final administrative and registration stages.
This is one reason buyers should not evaluate new and resale properties in exactly the same way.
If you are deciding between the two, our New Build vs Resale Property in Alanya guide explains the practical differences.
Can Foreigners Own Kat Mülkiyeti Property?
Eligible foreign nationals can generally purchase individually registered apartments and other permitted real estate in Türkiye, subject to the applicable nationality, location and statutory restrictions.
The fact that a property has Kat Mülkiyeti does not by itself determine whether a particular foreign buyer is legally eligible to acquire it.
Foreign ownership eligibility should therefore also be confirmed for the specific buyer and property.
For the complete purchase process, see our step-by-step guide to buying property in Alanya as a foreign buyer.
A Simple Example
Imagine you are comparing three properties in Alanya:
Property A: A completed apartment in an established residential building with the independent section registered under Kat Mülkiyeti.
Property B: An apartment in a new development that is registered under Kat İrtifakı while the project is progressing through its construction or final registration stages.
Property C: A physical home is shown to you, but the ownership being offered is a share of the underlying land.
All three may be described in an advertisement as “property for sale.”
Legally, however, they should not automatically be treated as identical purchases.
This is why understanding the Tapu before paying a substantial deposit is so important.
Common Mistakes Foreign Buyers Make
- Assuming every Tapu represents the same type of ownership
- Looking only at the owner's name
- Confusing Kat İrtifakı with Kat Mülkiyeti
- Assuming a completed building automatically has Kat Mülkiyeti
- Confusing İskan with the title deed itself
- Buying a land share while believing they are buying a separately registered apartment
- Failing to compare the physical apartment with official records
- Paying a large deposit before checking the property's legal status
Most of these problems can be avoided by carrying out the appropriate checks before committing to the purchase.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does Kat Mülkiyeti mean?
Kat Mülkiyeti refers to condominium ownership of an independent section in a completed building under the applicable registration structure.
What does Kat İrtifakı mean?
Kat İrtifakı is generally the ownership structure used to establish rights connected with planned independent sections of a building project before final condominium ownership registration.
Is it safe to buy a property with Kat İrtifakı?
Kat İrtifakı alone does not mean that a property is problematic. The building's current legal, construction, occupancy and registration status should be checked before purchasing.
What is Arsa Tapusu?
Arsa Tapusu refers to land ownership. If you are being shown an apartment or villa while the ownership offered is a land share, the legal structure should be carefully examined.
What is İskan?
İskan is commonly used to refer to the occupancy permit for a building. It should not be confused with the title deed itself.
Can Kat İrtifakı become Kat Mülkiyeti?
Yes. Subject to the applicable requirements and registration procedures, a project established under Kat İrtifakı can later move to Kat Mülkiyeti.
Should I buy only properties with Kat Mülkiyeti?
Not necessarily. The appropriate ownership structure depends on whether you are buying a completed apartment, an off-plan property, land or another type of real estate. The important point is to understand exactly what is registered and what you are purchasing.
Final Thoughts
The Turkish title deed system becomes much easier to understand once you know the basic terminology.
For foreign buyers, the three most important expressions are often Kat Mülkiyeti, Kat İrtifakı and Arsa Tapusu.
None of these terms should be judged in isolation. The correct question is whether the registered ownership structure, building documentation and physical property all correspond with the property you intend to purchase.
Before making a substantial payment, buyers should understand exactly what is registered at the Land Registry and ensure that the transaction has been properly checked.
M² Real Estate assists international buyers in Alanya with property selection and the practical purchasing process, and where specialist legal advice is required, the appropriate professional support can be coordinated.
Looking for property in Alanya? Explore our current portfolio and contact M² Real Estate for professional assistance with your property search.
This article provides general information and does not constitute individual legal advice. The legal and registration status of each property should be assessed according to its specific documentation and circumstances.
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