Buying property in Turkey by power of attorney: what can be done remotely in 2026

Buying an apartment in Turkey without setting foot in the country is entirely feasible: your representative can sign the documents at the land registry under a power of attorney. But "remotely" does not mean "entirely at a distance" — some procedures still require you in person, and that is worth knowing before the money leaves your account. Here is what can be done by proxy, what cannot be delegated in 2026, and how to keep control of the transaction.

What can and cannot be done by power of attorney

The sale itself can be delegated in full: your representative attends the land registry directorate (tapu müdürlüğü), signs the documents and collects the tapu (title deed) in your name. Anything tied to your identity as a foreign national, however, delegates far less readily.

The bank account: the main bottleneck

Formally, a Turkish account can be opened through a representative if the power of attorney contains express authority "to open an account, to operate it and to deposit funds", and the power of attorney itself was drawn up by a Turkish noter (notary) or a Turkish consulate. In practice banks apply their own customer identification rules, and many branches will still ask the owner to attend. When planning your purchase, establish where your specific bank stands in advance rather than on signing day — more in our article on opening a bank account in Turkey.

Residence permits and citizenship: the trip cannot be avoided

An application for a residence permit may be filed by a legal representative or an advocate, but booking with and attending the migration office (Göç İdaresi) happens in person, and the legislation expressly allows the authority to require the foreign national to be present. A biometric photograph and personal attendance at the appointment are the norm, and failure to attend means the application is treated as never filed.

The picture with citizenship by investment is similar: an advocate may file the exceptional-grounds application under a notarised power of attorney, and most of the journey really can be made remotely. But the biometric data for the Turkish identity card (kimlik) and passport are given in person — either in Turkey or at a Turkish consulate where you live. There is no rule that "a purchase by proxy does not count as an investment": for the USD 400,000 threshold, the three-year restriction on selling and the valuation report, it makes no difference whether you signed the documents yourself or a representative did. What matters is that the payments went through a bank with supporting documentation and in the buyer's name.

Which power of attorney to draw up for a purchase

The same hard rule applies as to any land registry action: the power of attorney must be drawn up by a Turkish noter or a Turkish consulate abroad. A power of attorney from a notary in your own country, even with an apostille and a sworn translation, is not accepted for tapu transactions. There is a full breakdown in our article on the power of attorney in Turkey.

What the text should contain when the task is a purchase:

• Identification of the property. Province, district, mahalle, the ada and parsel numbers, the number of the independent unit (bağımsız bölüm) and, where possible, the seller. This turns the document into a single-use key for one apartment.
• A price ceiling. Wording along the lines of "to acquire for no more than such-and-such a sum" constrains your representative and protects you from unexpected top-ups.
• Signing authority at the land registry. Express authority to sign documents at the tapu müdürlüğü, to file applications and to receive the title deed.
• Ancillary actions. The valuation report, DASK, utility subscriptions, the tax number, payment of fees.
• A time limit. Cap the power of attorney at a few months — enough for the transaction and the loose ends that follow it.

What a purchase power of attorney should not contain: authority to sell, gift or mortgage the property, to take out loans or to give guarantees. None of that is needed for a purchase, and it can do a great deal of harm.

Who to give a power of attorney to — and who never to

Sensible choices: an independent Turkish advocate you have engaged yourself; an employee of a firm acting for you on the transaction, under a signed services agreement; a person close to you who lives in Turkey.

Poor choices are anyone with their own interest in the deal.

• The seller or the developer's representative. One person acting for both seller and buyer strips the transaction of any external check: the price on the tapu, the payment arrangements and the timing are all set by one side.
• The seller's agent. Even with the best of intentions there is a conflict of interest: their fee depends on the deal closing, not on how good it is for you.
• Anyone at all, if the document is a general power of attorney. Broad authority to dispose of property means the apartment you just bought can be resold without your involvement. Turkish courts do hear claims for abuse of an agent's mandate, but the property is only recovered where the new owner's bad faith is proved — and if they acted in good faith, all that remains is a monetary claim against your own representative.

A practical rule: if you are urged to grant a general power of attorney "to keep things simple", that is the moment to stop and ask why simple has to mean that.

How to keep control of the transaction from a distance

Web-Tapu and e-Devlet

The land registry's Web-Tapu system runs through e-Devlet, the national e-government portal, and foreign nationals use it on the same footing as citizens: you need a foreigner's identification number and an e-Devlet password. Your personal account shows your holdings, the extract for the property and the encumbrances (takyidat) — mortgages, attachments, annotations. It is also worth switching on SMS alerts and linking your phone number to your properties so you are notified of any movement on your documents.

One important detail: through Web-Tapu an owner can grant a representative the right to book an appointment and submit documents — but that is not authority to complete a transaction. Signing authority comes only from a notarised power of attorney.

What to check before signing

• The extract for the property and its encumbrances — a current one, not something a month old.
• The SPK valuation report: it is mandatory for transactions with foreign nationals, its validity runs for three months, and the deal must close inside that window.
• Whether the building holds an iskân (yapı kullanma izin belgesi, the occupancy permit).
• Arrears on aidat and utilities.
• Whether the property sits in a mahalle closed to foreign address registration: the list is maintained by the migration authority and it changes, so it must be checked before the transaction.
• Who is declaring what value on the tapu: the tapu harcı duty (4%, split equally between the parties by law) is calculated on the declared value, and so are the thresholds for a residence permit and for citizenship.

What to check after the transaction

1. Obtain a scan of the tapu and verify everything: your name and passport details, the address and cadastral references, your share (full ownership is required for the residence permit and citizenship thresholds), the declared value, and whether the three-year restriction on selling is annotated.
2. Check the same details yourself in Web-Tapu — in the system, not in the file someone sent you.
3. Make sure the DASK policy is in place and the utility subscriptions have been transferred.
4. Keep the bank confirmations of your transfers: you will need them both for citizenship and on a future sale.
5. Revoke the power of attorney. Have an azilname drawn up by a notary and send it to the land registry directorate. A Turkish power of attorney with no stated time limit runs indefinitely, and leaving it live "just in case" is a needless risk.

Common mistakes

• Having the power of attorney drawn up by a notary at home and finding out on signing day that the registry will not accept it.
• Turning up at the notary or the consulate without photographs — for a property power of attorney the photograph is mandatory.
• Failing to identify the property and set a price ceiling, leaving the representative free to act "in your interests".
• Transferring money to a third party rather than to the seller's account "to make settlement easier".
• Agreeing to understate the sum on the tapu: saving on duty leaves you short of the residence permit or citizenship threshold and facing a higher tax bill on a future sale.
• Assuming a power of attorney can replace attending in person for the residence permit and biometrics.
• Not revoking the power of attorney once the deal has closed.

Frequently asked questions

Can I buy an apartment in Turkey without ever travelling there?

The transaction itself, yes — a representative will handle it under a power of attorney drawn up at a Turkish consulate. But if you want a residence permit or citizenship, a trip will still be needed: biometrics and the migration office appointment happen in person.

Is a translator needed at the registry if a representative is acting?

Where a foreign national who does not speak Turkish is party to the transaction, the registry requires a sworn translator (yeminli tercüman). If a Turkish-speaking representative is acting under a power of attorney, that requirement falls away — but confirm the point with the specific office beforehand.

Does buying by proxy affect a residence permit or citizenship application?

No. What counts are the characteristics of the property and the payments: the value on the tapu as confirmed by the valuation, full ownership of the share, and non-cash settlement. Who physically signed the documents is irrelevant.

Can a power of attorney be revoked from abroad?

Yes. The azilname is drawn up at a Turkish consulate, after which it must be brought to the representative's attention and sent to the land registry directorate — from the moment the revocation arrives, the registry stops accepting documents from the former representative.

What if the representative bought the wrong property, or at the wrong price?

First, document the discrepancy: the tapu, the correspondence, the payment orders, the text of the power of attorney. Then instruct a Turkish advocate — there is a mechanism for challenging a transaction on the ground of abuse of an agent's mandate, but its prospects turn on the good faith of the other side and on how tightly the power of attorney constrained your representative.

How long does a purchase by proxy take?

The timing depends on the registry appointment, on the valuation report being ready and on how quickly the checks run; build in a buffer and keep the three-month validity of the valuation in mind. The general sequence is set out in our article on the property purchase transaction in Turkey.

Need a hand?

New Time Investment handles remote transactions in Alanya and across Turkey: we will draft the power of attorney for your specific property, run the legal and encumbrance checks, arrange the valuation and the registry appointment, and after completion help you set up DASK and the utility subscriptions and revoke the power of attorney.

This article is for general information. The requirements of the land registry, the banks and the migration authority change over time, and the practice of individual offices differs — check the current rules before filing documents or transferring funds.