BlogBuying commercial property in Turkey requires more than checking the asking price and obtaining a copy of the title deed. A building may be legally owned by the seller but unsuitable for the buyer's intended business. A property advertised as an investment may also carry an existing tenancy, expensive management obligations or restrictions that change its commercial value.
The legal review should connect three questions: who will acquire the property, what the buyer intends to do with it, and which rights and obligations will remain after completion. This guide addresses offices, shops, warehouses and other commercial premises. Buying an operating business or the shares of a property-owning company requires additional analysis beyond the real estate itself.
Contents
1. Identify the buyer before agreeing the transaction
A foreign individual, a company incorporated outside Turkey and a Turkish company with foreign shareholders do not necessarily follow the same acquisition rules. The Investment Office distinguishes these categories, while the Land Registry Law addresses foreign persons and foreign-capital Turkish companies separately. The nationality, corporate structure and location of the property should therefore be checked before paying a non-refundable amount.
A foreign-incorporated company should not assume it can purchase on the same basis as an individual or a Turkish subsidiary. Equally, forming a Turkish company does not remove every acquisition condition. Establish whether the proposed buyer is eligible and whether a permission or other preliminary procedure is relevant. Only then should the parties settle the identity that will appear in the sale documents.
Choose the ownership structure with tax and accounting advice as well as legal advice. Consider financing, rental income, future sale, succession and whether the premises will be occupied by another group company. Changing the buyer late in the process can require revised documents and a fresh review of payment arrangements.
2. Distinguish the property from the business
An asset purchase of a shop is not necessarily a purchase of the business trading inside it. Equipment, stock, employees, brand rights, customer relationships and operating permissions need their own treatment. A seller may own the property but not the tenant's fixtures, or operate the business without owning the building.
If the proposal is to buy shares in the company that owns the property, the buyer is examining a corporate acquisition as well. Historic liabilities, company contracts, tax exposure and decision-making authority become important. A clean-looking title entry is not a complete assessment of that transaction. The term sheet should state plainly whether the deal covers real estate, business assets, company shares or a combination.
3. Match the title record to the premises
Obtain an up-to-date review of the registered property and the seller's authority. Check the parcel and independent-unit information against the space inspected. A showroom, storage area or parking space included in an advertisement may not belong to the unit in the way the buyer expects. Investigate mortgages, attachments, easements and annotations through the appropriate records.
The physical inspection and the legal review should be coordinated. Ask whether walls have been removed, floors combined or common areas incorporated into the premises. Where the seller is a company, review who can sign and what approvals are required. Where a representative acts, examine the power of attorney rather than relying on the representative's relationship with the owner.
4. Verify that the intended use is feasible
An attractive location does not prove that the premises can lawfully operate as the proposed restaurant, clinic, workshop or warehouse. Review the planning position, building documentation, occupancy status and any use-specific permissions. A registration description or an existing business sign should not be treated as a universal operating licence.
Technical advisers should assess the practical requirements of the intended activity, such as structural suitability, access, ventilation and fire-safety arrangements. Legal advisers should identify relevant approvals and restrictions. Keep those roles clear: a legal opinion does not replace an engineering assessment, and an architect's inspection does not replace a title review.
Where permission is essential to the investment, address it before making the purchase unconditional. The contract can be structured to define which checks must be satisfied, who supplies the documents and what happens if the proposed use cannot proceed. A vague assurance that approval will be easy is not an adequate allocation of risk.
5. Read the tenancy behind the advertised income
For an occupied investment, obtain the complete lease, amendments, payment history, deposit arrangements and relevant notices. Identify the actual tenant and any guarantor, concessions, rent-free periods or side agreements. Compare the rent presented in the sales material with the amount contractually due and the amount actually collected.
Do not assume that a sale ends the tenancy or that the buyer can immediately set a new market rent. If vacant possession is essential, investigate the available legal route and document the seller's delivery obligations. If the tenant will remain, plan the transition of payment instructions, deposits, records and communications. The income forecast should be based on the tenancy that exists, not the one the buyer hopes to obtain.
6. Review building management and shared costs
A unit in a shopping centre, business complex or mixed-use building may be subject to management rules and substantial common expenses. Request the management plan, recent budgets, statements of account and information about planned major works. Clarify access, signage, deliveries, opening hours, parking and use of shared facilities.
Distinguish recurring operating charges from exceptional expenditure. A low advertised purchase price can be misleading if major repairs or assessments are expected. Ask the seller to identify disputes with management and amounts already demanded. Contractual allocation between buyer and seller should be considered separately from any rights that third parties may have.
7. Make the contract reflect the actual deal
The contract should identify the property precisely, the parties, the price and currency, payment stages, completion conditions and the documents to be delivered. It should address existing encumbrances, occupation, fixtures, representations about documents and the consequences of a failed completion. Record material promises rather than leaving them in marketing messages.
A reservation payment or preliminary agreement should not be mistaken for registered ownership. Before paying, understand who receives the funds, whether they are refundable and what event permits the seller to retain them. If a mortgage must be discharged, agree a workable sequence supported by the relevant lender's requirements. An obligation to remove it someday after payment is not equivalent to a coordinated completion.
8. Coordinate funding, taxes and registration
Plan the payment route with the bank and the professionals handling completion. The purchaser named in the documents, source of funds, payment explanation and registration file should be consistent. Foreign-exchange documentation requirements must be checked for the particular buyer and transaction rather than copied from another acquisition.
Obtain transaction-specific advice on applicable taxes, fees and ongoing liabilities. The seller's status, the nature of the property and the proposed activity can matter; do not assume a foreign buyer automatically receives a tax exemption. Keep the advertised net price separate from the total acquisition budget, including legal, technical, translation and financing expenses.
9. Buying through a representative
A buyer outside Turkey may be able to complete through an appropriately authorised representative. The power of attorney should be prepared for the intended transaction and the relevant authentication and translation route. Review its scope, any authority to make payments and whether limits should be included.
Independent reporting is particularly important in a remote purchase. Agree how the buyer will receive title checks, contract drafts and confirmation of material changes. A broker, seller and buyer can have different interests even when communication is friendly. Do not allow the convenience of one contact person to obscure who is responsible for legal advice and whose interests they represent.
10. Prepare a completion and handover file
Before completion, confirm the remaining conditions, updated title position, signatory authority and payment sequence. After registration, retain the title record, receipts, contract, disclosed documents and a written handover record. Record keys, access devices, meter readings, fixtures and any outstanding works rather than relying on a brief visit.
A commercial property also needs a post-completion plan. This may include management notifications, insurance arrangements, tenant communications and the permissions required before trading. Purchasing the premises does not by itself establish that the buyer or a foreign manager is authorised to work in Turkey. Deal with that question separately from ownership.
11. What to provide for an initial review
For an initial assessment, describe the buyer, intended use, location, proposed price, occupation status and current transaction stage. Identify any reservation deadline or payment already made. A title reference, draft agreement and list of available documents help define the review, but sensitive materials should be shared through an agreed channel after a conflict check.
The useful outcome is a list of matters that can be accepted, matters requiring evidence and conditions that should be resolved before commitment. The review should not simply label the property safe because a title document exists. This article provides general information and is not a property-specific legal, tax or technical opinion.
Related reading: Real estate due diligence; Buying an operating business; Title deed transfer.
Request a Commercial Property Review
Send a brief summary for an initial review. Please avoid confidential documents until conflicts and an appropriate sharing method have been addressed. Sending a message does not establish representation or suspend a deadline.
Primary legal references: Investment Office: acquiring property in Turkey; Land Registry guidance on foreign-capital companies; Ministry of Labour: foreign business owners and workplace requirements. Read alongside current legislation and the particular procedural record. Prepared October 12, 2026.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a foreign buyer purchase commercial premises in Turkey?
It may be possible, but the buyer's nationality or corporate category, the property's location and the applicable acquisition rules need review before commitment.
Does buying the building include the business inside it?
Not necessarily. Business assets, contracts, staff and permissions must be identified separately from the real estate.
Can I require an existing tenant to leave after purchase?
A sale should not be treated as automatic termination of the tenancy. The lease, statutory grounds and delivery arrangements require assessment.
Does the title deed prove my business can operate there?
No. Planning, occupancy, management restrictions and activity-specific permissions may need separate checks.
Can the purchase be handled without travelling to Turkey?
Representation may be possible with an appropriately prepared power of attorney. Document formalities, the payment route and reporting arrangements should be agreed in advance.