Mandatory Secure Payments for Property Sales in Turkey Start May 1, 2025

New rule for property in Turkey will change how you pay

If you are buying property in Turkey, a change is coming that alters the payment step of every transaction. From 1 May 2025, the Turkish government requires that payments for all property sales — housing and land — pass through a government-approved secure payment system. This is not a pilot. It is a plain legal shift meant to stop unregistered cash deals, reduce fraud and make title transfers safer.

This article explains how the system works, what it means for buyers, sellers and investors, the likely effects on transaction speed and market transparency, and the practical steps you should take now to avoid delays and surprises.

How the secure payment system works

The secure payment system is a digital escrow-style mechanism that links the payment to the official registration of ownership at the land registry. The core mechanics, as described by the Trade Ministry and reflected in the draft regulation, are simple:

• The buyer transfers the purchase price into a system-registered secure account.
• The funds are temporarily held and blocked by the system.
• The title deed (ownership) transfer is completed in the land registry office.
• Once the registry records the transfer, the system releases the payment automatically to the seller's account.

Several specific facts matter: the system is already in use for second-hand vehicle sales, it was developed by the Ministry of Trade working with the Turkish Notaries Union, and it will be mandatory for transactions paid in cash, bank transfer or electronic funds transfer (EFT). The draft amendments to the Regulation on Real Estate Trade are undergoing review by public institutions and industry stakeholders before final approval.

In short, payment and title transfer must change hands simultaneously through the digital mechanism. The objective is to prevent one party from paying without receiving ownership or from transferring ownership without receiving payment.

Why authorities are enforcing this change

Turkish property transactions often take place as direct, face-to-face deals. That process has a few persistent weaknesses:

• Off-the-books payments. Buyers and sellers sometimes agree payments outside official channels to avoid taxes or to bridge valuation gaps.
• Fraud and document forgery. Cash transfers and informal settlements raise the risk that forged documents or bogus transfers are used.
• Security risks. Large cash movements expose individuals to theft or coercion.
• Lack of traceability. Without a formal payment trail, disputes are harder to resolve and authorities cannot track suspicious flows.

The Trade Ministry and notaries see the secure payment system as a way to eliminate those problems by enforcing simultaneous legal and financial transfer. That has knock-on effects for tax compliance, registry accuracy and market transparency.

What the new rule means for buyers and sellers — practical consequences

We have worked with lawyers and transaction specialists to summarize the hands-on effects you should expect.

Key operational changes

• Notary and registry coordination becomes essential. The system requires that the buyer deposit funds into the secure account before the title transfer at the land registry is finalized. Notaries will need to coordinate timing with banks and the registry office.
• Payment timing changes. Sellers will no longer receive funds before registration. Payment will arrive only after the registry records the new owner.
• No cash workaround. Cash payments will be forced through the secure channel, which reduces the informal cash market for property transactions.

How this affects different types of buyers

• Domestic buyers: Expect stricter oversight of transaction documentation and clearer audit trails. For many local buyers this will reduce the risk of losing money in fraudulent deals.
• Foreign buyers: You must plan bank transfers and foreign exchange steps earlier in the process. International wire transfers tend to take time; you should confirm with your bank that funds can be sent into the system-registered account and learn the exact beneficiary details your notary will provide.
• Investors buying at scale: Large portfolios or high-frequency purchases will see additional administrative steps. You should discuss workflow and timing with your legal and tax advisers to avoid bottlenecks.

Mortgage and financing implications

Banks that provide mortgages will need to integrate the secure payment flow with their disbursement procedures. In practice this means:

• Lenders must confirm the system account details and coordinate release of funds to coincide with the registry confirmation.
• Mortgage timing may lengthen slightly while the bank’s legal and operations teams confirm registration.
• Buyers using mortgages should ask lenders for a written timeline and for contingency plans if registry processing takes longer than usual.

Fees and costs

The draft regulation does not specify final fee schedules in public messaging. However, expect new operating costs such as:

• System transaction fees charged by the platform or its banking partners.
• Possible notary or registry coordination fees.
• Banking fees for EFT and international transfer into the system account.

These will add to the usual transfer taxes and registration fees. We advise buyers and sellers to request a clear, written estimate of all transactional fees before signing an agreement.

How the system may change the property market

This is the point where policy hits market behaviour. The secure payment requirement will alter incentives across the chain.

Likely outcomes that we see

• Greater transparency. By forcing transactions into a traceable channel, unregistered payments should decline. That could reduce tax evasion tied to under-declared sale prices.
• Lower fraud rates. The simultaneous transfer mechanism cuts the classic scam where a buyer pays and the seller fails to deliver ownership, or a seller appears to transfer title without receiving funds.
• Short-term friction. Expect a period of slower transactions immediately after introduction as notaries, banks and registry offices align procedures and surge in transaction volumes is managed.

What will not change quickly

• Underground markets and determined fraudsters often adapt.