As you would expect, buying a property in Turkey is complicated. A basic textbook on Turkish property law might extend to 500 pages. There are certainbasic principles that it is helpful to understand.

            The main legal provisions relating to property law are found in the Civil Code, which was introduced in 1926 but has been modified since. The Code was virtually a translation of the Swiss Civil Code and based legal relationships on the same footing as that of contemporary Europa in the 1920s. The law of procedure and bankruptcy is similarly Swiss-inspired. Subsequent modifications of Turkish law have reflected changes in Turkish society in paralel with those in Europa. Turkish law is, therefore, bades on the same principles as European civil law.

            Although Turkish law has maintained certain discriminations between Turkish nationals and foreigners, recent legislative amendments have removed virtually all of these. In the central field of property ownershop, foreigners are now treated on a par with Turkish nationals.

            Turkey is moving rapidly to introduce laws that are consistent with the requirements of the European Union. This will have far-reaching effects as more changes are brought  in during the next year or two (provided, of course, Turkey is given the ‘green light’ to join the EU when the EU bigwigs meet in December 2004). This is likely to lead, for example, to the early removal of the requirement for EU nationals to obtain the military permission deeded by foreigners wishing to buy property in Turkey. This should simplify and speed up the procedure-and encourage yet nore foreigners to consider buying in Turkey.