Buying an off-plan home in Turkey requires checking the contract’s form, the building permit, the promised delivery date and the buyer’s exit rights before payment. For a consumer’s prepaid housing purchase, Law No. 6502 requires land-register registration of the sale or a sale promise drawn up as a notarial deed. A brochure, reservation form or payment receipt should not be treated as a substitute for examining those requirements.
This article concerns prepaid residential sales to consumers. A foreign buyer’s eligibility to acquire the particular property remains a separate question, explained in property acquisition by foreigners in Turkey.
1. Which Purchases Are Prepaid Housing Sales?
6502 sayılı Tüketicinin Korunması Hakkında Kanun m.40 — Ön ödemeli konut satış sözleşmesi
“MADDE 40- (1) Ön ödemeli konut satış sözleşmesi, tüketicinin konut amaçlı bir taşınmazın satış bedelini önceden peşin veya taksitle ödemeyi, satıcının da bedelin tamamen veya kısmen ödenmesinden sonra taşınmazı tüketiciye devir veya teslim etmeyi üstlendiği sözleşmedir.”
(6502 sayılı Tüketicinin Korunması Hakkında Kanun m.40)
Unofficial translation: “ARTICLE 40- (1) A pre-paid housing sales contract is a contract under which the consumer undertakes to pay the sale price of an immovable intended for residential use in advance, in a lump sum or in instalments, and the seller undertakes to transfer or deliver the immovable to the consumer after the price has been paid in whole or in part.”
2. What Must Be Provided Before the Contract?
The remaining paragraphs of Article 40 require a pre-contractual information form to be given at least one day before the contract, and provide that no off-plan contract may be made without a building permit. The building permit and the pre-contractual information form are therefore separate documents to examine before signing.
3. Must the Contract Be Registered or Made Before a Notary?
Article 41 sets the form requirements and limits what the seller may demand before a valid contract exists:
6502 sayılı Tüketicinin Korunması Hakkında Kanun m.41 — Şekil şartı
“MADDE 41- (1) Ön ödemeli konut satışının tapu siciline tescil edilmesi, satış vaadi sözleşmesinin ise noterde düzenleme şeklinde yapılması zorunludur. Aksi hâlde satıcı, sonradan sözleşmenin geçersizliğini tüketicinin aleyhine olacak şekilde ileri süremez. (2) Satıcı, geçerli bir sözleşme yapılmış olmadıkça tüketiciden herhangi bir isim altında ödeme yapmasını veya tüketiciyi borç altına sokan herhangi bir belge vermesini isteyemez.”
(6502 sayılı Tüketicinin Korunması Hakkında Kanun m.41)
Unofficial translation: “ARTICLE 41- (1) Registration of the off-plan housing sale in the land register is compulsory, and the sale promise contract must be drawn up as a notarial deed. Otherwise the seller may not subsequently invoke the invalidity of the contract to the detriment of the consumer. (2) The seller may not require the consumer to make any payment under any name, or to give any document placing the consumer under an obligation, unless a valid contract has been concluded.”
The Court of Cassation has confirmed that this is the special provision governing such disputes:
“Kanun’un 41/1. maddesinde şekil şartı düzenlenmiş ve ön ödemeli konut satışının tapu siciline tescil edilmesi, satış vaadi sözleşmesinin ise noterde düzenleme şeklinde yapılmasının zorunlu olduğu, aksi hâlde satıcının, sonradan sözleşmenin geçersizliğini tüketicinin aleyhine olacak şekilde ileri süremeyeceği belirtilmiştir.”
(Yargıtay 3. Hukuk Dairesi, E. 2022/6985, K. 2022/8516, T. 07.11.2022 — gerekçesi düzeltilerek onama)
Unofficial translation: “Article 41(1) of the Law regulates the formal requirement and provides that registration of the off-plan housing sale in the land register and the drawing up of the sale promise contract as a notarial deed are compulsory, failing which the seller may not subsequently invoke the invalidity of the contract to the detriment of the consumer.”
4. When Must the Home Be Delivered?
The contract’s promised delivery period applies, subject to the statutory maximum:
6502 sayılı Tüketicinin Korunması Hakkında Kanun m.44 — Devir veya teslim süresi
“MADDE 44- (1) Ön ödemeli konutun sözleşmede taahhüt edilen süre içinde tüketiciye teslim edilmesi zorunludur. Bu süre her hâlükârda sözleşme tarihinden itibaren kırk sekiz ayı geçemez. Kat irtifakının tüketici adına tapu siciline tescil edilmesiyle birlikte zilyetliğin devri hâlinde de devir ve teslim yapılmış sayılır.”
(6502 sayılı Tüketicinin Korunması Hakkında Kanun m.44)
Unofficial translation: “ARTICLE 44- (1) The off-plan dwelling must be delivered to the consumer within the period undertaken in the contract. This period may in no case exceed forty-eight months from the date of the contract. Where possession is transferred together with registration of the condominium easement in the land register in the consumer’s name, transfer and delivery are also deemed to have been made.”
The provision distinguishes the agreed delivery date from the statutory maximum. The forty-eight months is an outer limit, not a default entitlement: it does not extend a shorter delivery undertaking written into the contract. Registration of a condominium easement (kat irtifakı) together with transfer of possession is also treated as delivery. Registration and possession must therefore be examined together; the provision does not identify registration alone as sufficient.
5. Can the Buyer Withdraw Within Fourteen Days?
Article 43 grants fourteen days to withdraw without giving a reason or paying a contractual penalty. Sending the withdrawal notification to the seller within that period is sufficient. The seller bears the burden of proving that the consumer was informed of this right.
“(1) Tüketici, on dört gün içinde herhangi bir gerekçe göstermeksizin ve cezai şart ödemeksizin ön ödemeli konut satış sözleşmesinden cayma hakkına sahiptir. Cayma hakkının kullanıldığına dair bildirimin bu süre içinde satıcıya yöneltilmiş olması yeterlidir. Satıcı, cayma hakkı konusunda tüketicinin bilgilendirildiğini ispat etmekle yükümlüdür.”
(6502 sayılı Tüketicinin Korunması Hakkında Kanun m.43)
Unofficial translation: “The consumer has the right to withdraw from the prepaid housing sales contract within fourteen days without giving any reason and without paying a contractual penalty. It is sufficient for notification of the exercise of the right to be directed to the seller within that period. The seller must prove that the consumer was informed of the right to withdraw.”
6. Can the Buyer Cancel Later Without Giving a Reason?
Article 45 provides a separate right to withdraw for up to twenty-four months from the contract date. Unlike Article 43, this route can involve specified costs and capped compensation:
6502 sayılı Tüketicinin Korunması Hakkında Kanun m.45 — Sözleşmeden dönme
“MADDE 45- (1) Ön ödemeli konut satışında sözleşme tarihinden itibaren yirmidört aya kadar tüketicinin herhangi bir gerekçe göstermeden sözleşmeden dönme hakkı vardır. Sözleşmeden dönülmesi durumunda satıcı; konutun satışı veya satış vaadi sözleşmesi nedeniyle oluşan vergi, harç ve benzeri yasal yükümlülüklerden doğan masraflar ile sözleşme tarihinden itibaren ilk üç ay için sözleşme bedelinin yüzde ikisine, üç ila altı ay arası için yüzde dördüne, altı ila oniki ay arası için yüzde altısına ve oniki ila yirmidört ay arası için de yüzde sekizine kadar tazminatın ödenmesini isteyebilir.”
(6502 sayılı Tüketicinin Korunması Hakkında Kanun m.45)
Unofficial translation: “ARTICLE 45- (1) In off-plan housing sales the consumer has the right to withdraw from the contract without giving any reason for up to twenty-four months from the date of the contract. Where the contract is withdrawn from, the seller may request payment of the costs arising from taxes, fees and similar legal obligations incurred by reason of the sale or the sale promise contract, together with compensation of up to two percent of the contract price for the first three months from the date of the contract, four percent for between three and six months, six percent for between six and twelve months, and eight percent for between twelve and twenty-four months.”
| Period from the contract date | Ceiling on the compensation that may be claimed |
|---|---|
| First three months | 2% of the contract price |
| Three to six months | 4% of the contract price |
| Six to twelve months | 6% of the contract price |
| Twelve to twenty-four months | 8% of the contract price |
These percentages are ceilings on compensation for withdrawal without a reason. It is not an automatic deduction, and it is separate from the taxes and fees the same paragraph addresses. ## What If the Seller Fails to Perform?
Article 45(2) prevents the seller from claiming a payment from the consumer where the seller does not perform its obligations at all or properly:
“(2) Satıcı, yükümlülüklerini hiç ya da gereği gibi yerine getirmezse tüketiciden herhangi bir bedel talep edemez.”
(6502 sayılı Tüketicinin Korunması Hakkında Kanun m.45)
Unofficial translation: “(2) If the seller does not perform its obligations at all or properly, it may not claim any payment from the consumer.”
7. When Must the Seller Return the Money?
Article 45(3) regulates the refund period after withdrawal. Article 45(3) allows one hundred and eighty days from the withdrawal notice for the money and documents to be returned. The Court of Cassation has held that this period is addressed to companies that are still operating:
“Bu durumda 6502 sayılı TKHK’ın 45/3 maddesinde, sözleşmeden dönme halinde ödemenin iadesi için getirilen sürenin ancak faaliyetleri devam eden şirketler hakkında uygulanacağı, davalı şirketin faaliyetlerini tamamen durdurmuş olduğundan 6502 sayılı TKHK’ın 45/3 maddesinin davalı şirket için uygulama alanı bulamayacağı, 6098 sayılı TBK’nın 124. maddesindeki süre verilmesini gerektirmeyen durumun var olduğu kabul edilerek değerlendirme yapılması gerekirken İstanbul Bölge Adliye Mahkemesi 45. Hukuk Dairesince 6502 sayılı TKHK’ın 45/3 maddesi gereğince takip tarihi itibariyle alacak henüz muaccel olmadığı gerekçesiyle davanın reddine karar verilmesi doğru olmamış, kararın bozulması uygun bulunmuştur.”
(Yargıtay 6. Hukuk Dairesi, E. 2021/5766, K. 2022/5594, T. 01.12.2022 — bozma)
Unofficial translation: “In that case it should have been assessed on the footing that the period introduced in Article 45(3) of Law No. 6502 for the refund of payment upon withdrawal from the contract applies only to companies whose activities are continuing; that since the defendant company had completely ceased its activities Article 45(3) of Law No. 6502 could find no field of application for the defendant company; and that the situation in Article 124 of Law No. 6098, which does not require the granting of a period, was present. It was not correct for the 45th Civil Chamber of the Istanbul Regional Court of Appeal to dismiss the case on the ground that the claim was not yet due as at the date of enforcement under Article 45(3) of Law No. 6502; it was found appropriate to set the judgment aside.”
That decision does not remove the waiting period generally. It was reached where construction had stopped altogether, and the court assessed the state of performance on technical evidence. A general allegation of delay is not the same finding. The same paragraph requires the consumer to return what they received within ten days after the seller returns the money and the documents placing the consumer under an obligation. This is a separate period with a different starting event.
8. Is Completion Insurance Required for Every Project?
Article 42 requires completion insurance or the other security and conditions specified by the Ministry for projects above the size determined by reference to dwelling count or total project value. It does not say that every project must use the same form of security. The buyer should identify the applicable project category and request the relevant security documents.
“(1) Bakanlıkça projedeki konut adedi ya da projenin toplam bedeli kriterine göre belirlenecek büyüklüğün üzerindeki projeler için satıcının ön ödemeli konut satışına başlamadan önce; kapsamı, koşulları ve uygulama esasları Hazine Müsteşarlığınca belirlenen bina tamamlama sigortası yaptırması veya Bakanlıkça belirlenen diğer teminat ve şartları sağlaması zorunludur.”
(6502 sayılı Tüketicinin Korunması Hakkında Kanun m.42)
Article 45(2) also lists situations in which no payment may be demanded from the consumer, including inability to make prepayments because of death or permanent loss of earning capacity and rejection of the specified proposal to replace the contract with an instalment sale on ordinary terms. The seller’s compensation percentage cannot be assessed without first checking whether a no-payment exception applies.
9. Which Court Hears an Off-Plan Consumer Dispute?
Article 73 assigns disputes arising from consumer transactions and practices directed at consumers to consumer courts and permits consumer actions at the consumer’s place of residence as well. The nature of the requested relief matters when assessing pre-action mediation.
“(1) Tüketici işlemleri ile tüketiciye yönelik uygulamalardan doğabilecek uyuşmazlıklara ilişkin davalarda tüketici mahkemeleri görevlidir.”
(6502 sayılı Tüketicinin Korunması Hakkında Kanun m.73)
Unofficial translation: “Consumer courts have jurisdiction over actions concerning disputes that may arise from consumer transactions and practices directed at consumers.”
Article 73/A generally requires mediation before proceedings in consumer-court disputes but expressly excludes the listed categories. These include disputes within consumer arbitration committee jurisdiction, objections to committee decisions and consumer disputes arising from rights in rem over immovables, as well as the actions specified in Articles 73(6) and 74. A refund claim and a claim concerning ownership of the property therefore require separate procedural classification.
“d) Tüketici işlemi mahiyetinde olan ve taşınmazın aynından doğan uyuşmazlıklar”
(6502 sayılı Tüketicinin Korunması Hakkında Kanun m.73/A)
Unofficial translation: “d) Disputes that are consumer transactions and arise from rights in rem over immovables.”
Before choosing the claim, assemble the contract and annexes, pre-contractual form, permit, payment records, promised completion specifications, delivery records and all notices with proof of sending or receipt. Where construction has stopped, evidence of actual site progress and the seller’s continuing activity is relevant to the distinction drawn in the 6th Civil Chamber’s decision above. A delay allegation alone does not establish the same facts.
- Check the permit and information formExamine the building permit and obtain the pre-contractual information before signing.6502 sayılı Tüketicinin Korunması Hakkında Kanun m.40
- Check contract form before paymentIdentify the registered sale or notarial sale promise and the valid contractual basis for payment.6502 sayılı Tüketicinin Korunması Hakkında Kanun m.41
- Record the promised delivery dateDistinguish the agreed period from the forty-eight-month statutory maximum.6502 sayılı Tüketicinin Korunması Hakkında Kanun m.44
- Identify the applicable exit rightDistinguish the fourteen-day withdrawal right from later withdrawal and non-performance.6502 sayılı Tüketicinin Korunması Hakkında Kanun m.43
- Classify the dispute before filingAssess the remedy and the mediation exceptions applicable to it.6502 sayılı Tüketicinin Korunması Hakkında Kanun m.73/A
Frequently Asked Questions
Can an off-plan contract be signed before a building permit exists?
Article 40 states that a prepaid housing sales contract cannot be concluded without a building permit. It also requires the pre-contractual information form at least one day before contracting.
Can the seller demand a deposit before a valid contract?
Article 41(2) prohibits the seller from requesting payment under any name or a document placing the consumer under an obligation unless a valid contract has been concluded.
Does the seller always have forty-eight months to deliver?
No. Article 44 requires delivery within the agreed period and sets forty-eight months from the contract date as the maximum. It does not extend a shorter contractual deadline.
Can I withdraw without a penalty?
Article 43 grants fourteen days to withdraw without a reason or contractual penalty. The notification must be directed to the seller within that period.
What compensation applies to later withdrawal without a reason?
Article 45 sets ceilings of two, four, six and eight per cent for its respective periods up to twenty-four months, alongside the specified legal costs. No-payment exceptions must also be checked.
Must a buyer always wait one hundred and eighty days for a refund?
Article 45(3) provides that refund period from receipt of the withdrawal notice. In its decision of 1 December 2022, the 6th Civil Chamber held it inapplicable to the defendant company that had completely stopped its activities; an ordinary delay allegation is not the same finding.
Is mediation required for every off-plan property case?
Article 73/A generally requires mediation for consumer-court disputes but contains exceptions, including consumer disputes arising from rights in rem over immovables. The actual claim must be classified first.