Real Estate Litigation

Property disputes in Türkiye are decided on the register and on evidence, and they are slow. A title cancellation claim, a possession claim or a construction dispute is a full civil action with expert examination, and expert reports drive outcomes more than advocacy does. Foreign owners are usually surprised by two things: how long a first-instance file takes, and how much turns on documents created years earlier that nobody thought mattered at the time.

The disputes that recur have recognisable shapes. Title cancellation and re-registration, where the register does not reflect what should have happened. Adverse possession, where long undisturbed occupation is asserted against a paper owner. Contractor delay and defect claims on off-plan purchases, where the penalty clause in the contract does most of the work. Eviction and lease termination, where the validity of the paperwork is decided by strict formal rules. And earthquake-related liability, where building compliance records become the centre of the case.

Two practical points apply across all of them. Deadlines in this area are short and some are absolute, so the first question is always how much time is left rather than how strong the case is. And a foreign claimant can run a Turkish property case entirely through a properly issued and apostilled power of attorney, without attending in person.

Before a purchase goes wrong, prevention is cheaper: see real estate and property law.