From 1 December 2026, paying a seller directly for property in Turkey will no longer be allowed, unless the date is postponed again. The buyer's money will sit in a protected account until ownership is registered at the land registry (tapu). The rule applies to any sale in which the price is paid in cash, by bank transfer or by electronic funds transfer. The system is called "Güvenli Ödeme Sistemi", the secure payment system, and the press often calls it escrow. The launch date has already been moved: first from 1 July to 1 October, then to 1 December 2026. This article explains how payment will work, what is already known and what is still undecided.
How a transaction works today is described in the articles on the procedure for acquiring property in Turkey and on buying remotely. What the ownership document is, is explained in the article on the tapu.
Contents:
- What changes for the buyer
- How the system will work
- Which transactions it covers
- What is not yet decided
- How it differs from the Tapu Takas service
- What a buyer should do now
- Who will find it harder
- What changed in 2026
- Frequently asked questions
- Find property in Turkey
What changes for the buyer
Today, the parties set the method and timing of payment in the contract. If a deal collapses after the money has been handed over, getting it back depends on the contract and, in a dispute, on the court. The new system ties payment to the registration of ownership.
| Question | How it is now | After the system starts |
|---|---|---|
| Where the buyer pays | To the seller directly or through an intermediary, as the contract says | Into a protected account in the system, not to the seller |
| When the seller gets the money | When the parties have agreed in the contract | After ownership is registered in the buyer's name at the tapu |
| What happens if the deal collapses | Depends on the contract; in a dispute, the court decides | The money is returned to the buyer under rules yet to be announced |
| Costs | Bank fees for the transfer | Plus a fee for using the system, deducted from the seller's sum; the amount has not been set |
How the system will work
The procedure, according to lawyers and the Turkish press:
- The parties agree the price, the payment schedule and the account details.
- The transaction is opened in the system that the Ministry of Trade will designate.
- The buyer transfers the price into the protected account.
- The General Directorate of Land Registry and Cadastre (TKGM) registers ownership in the buyer's name.
- The registration details are passed to the system and checked.
- Once confirmed, the money is transferred to the seller.
If ownership is not registered, the seller does not receive the money.
"The system benefits the buyer because the seller gets the money only after the property is registered in the buyer's name. But until the rules on refunds and the amount of the fee are published, the contract should say who bears these costs and how," says a property lawyer from Istanbul.
Which transactions it covers
The legal basis is the amendment to the Regulation on Real Estate Trade (Taşınmaz Ticareti Hakkında Yönetmelik), published in the Official Gazette on 29 April 2026, No. 33238. Once it starts, the system will be mandatory for sales of property in which part or all of the price is paid in cash, by bank transfer or by electronic funds transfer.
What is known about particular cases:
- Mortgages. The amount of a bank's or finance company's loan is excluded from the system. The other payments, for example the deposit, go through it. The system does not remove the charge on the property, so the procedure for repaying the debt and lifting the encumbrance should be planned in advance.
- Gifts and inheritance. There is no price, so there is no obligation to pay through the system. If a transaction is recorded as a sale when it is in fact a gift, tax risks arise.
- Foreign buyers. The general requirements remain: identification, a tax number, a valuation report and the currency-related rules. The system does not replace them.
- Shared ownership. The regulation has no general exemption. The Ministry may set technical exemptions.
What is not yet decided
The Ministry of Trade has not yet approved some of the rules. At the time this article was prepared, the following had not been determined:
- how long the money will be held in the account;
- the amount of the fee for using the system and how it is calculated;
- the banks and operators that will run the protected accounts;
- the procedure for returning the money to the buyer if a deal collapses;
- the rules for transactions in foreign currency;
- how the system will apply to payments for property under construction and to developers' instalment plans.
For violations, the regulation refers to administrative fines under Law No. 6585. The general range for 2026 is from TL 28,620 to TL 858,620. How it applies to a one-off private transaction is not yet clear.
A trial run is planned before the launch. The Ministry sets the new date by amending the regulation.
How it differs from the Tapu Takas service
Turkey already has an optional service, Tapu Takas, provided by Takasbank, which provides a simultaneous exchange of ownership and money. According to a lawyer's description, the new secure payment system is not identical to Tapu Takas. What role Takasbank will play in the new system has not been confirmed.
What a buyer should do now
Until the system becomes mandatory, the existing rules apply. Before the launch, it makes sense to:
- Pay by bank transfer rather than in cash: a transfer leaves proof of payment.
- State in the contract the price, the amount to be received, deposits and how the money is handed over.
- Find out in advance from a notary, lawyer or developer how the transaction will be handled after 1 December.
- Check the new launch date with the Ministry of Trade: it has already been postponed twice.
- For a deal with a mortgage, agree with the bank on how the debt will be repaid and the charge lifted.
- For property under construction, ask the developer how the payment schedule will work with the new system. There are no rules for such payments yet.
Who will find it harder
- Those paying a developer by instalments: the rules for payments on property under construction have not been determined.
- Those planning to settle in cash: the system covers cash payments, and such a settlement will have to go through it.
- Sellers who expect to get the money immediately on signing the contract: after the launch, they will receive it only after registration.
- Those buying in foreign currency: the rules for currency transactions have not been determined.
What changed in 2026
- On 29 April 2026, amendments to the Regulation on Real Estate Trade (No. 33238) were published in the Official Gazette, creating the legal basis for the system.
- On 26 June 2026, the Ministry of Trade moved the launch from 1 July to 1 October.
- On 28 September 2026, the Ministry moved the launch to 1 December 2026 because the technical preparation by the banks and TKGM was not complete.
Frequently asked questions
When will the secure payment system become mandatory?
From 1 December 2026, unless the date is postponed again. The launch has already been moved from 1 July to 1 October, then to 1 December.
How does the protected account work?
The buyer transfers the price to the protected account. After ownership is registered at the tapu, the money is passed to the seller, and if the deal does not go ahead, it is returned to the buyer under rules to be announced later.
Does the system affect mortgages?
The amount of the bank loan is excluded from the system; the other payments go through it. The system does not remove the charge on the property.
Does the system apply to foreigners?
Yes, if the transaction falls under the rule. The general requirements for foreigners remain: identification, a tax number, a valuation report.
How much does it cost to use the system?
A fee will be charged for each operation and deducted from the seller's sum. The amount has not yet been set.
Find property in Turkey
If you are choosing a flat in Turkey, browse the listings in the Turk.Estate catalogue. Before buying, ask the developer or a lawyer how the transaction will be handled once the new system starts.
