It has come to our attention that until further notice, anyone who does not speak sufficient Turkish cannot sign for a property transfer at the Land Registry Office (Tapu). This includes both buying and selling.
It appears that people have been using translators who up until now have been approved by the Land Registry but in some cases it is claimed that what is being signed for has not been thoroughly explained to them resulting in potential issues further down the road.
Until now non-Turkish speakers have been able to use registered translators to explain to them what it is they are signing. We are advised that the government have raised the bar for the level of certified competance that is required for a translator to be acceptable to the Land Registry. At the time of printing we were advised that there were now no translators in the Kusadasi area who had the necessary certification. The translators that we spoke to advised us that they were in the process of establishing what is now required of them and that they would report back to us as and when they had more information.
Any Turkish speaking person can sign on behalf a foreign seller who does not have sufficient Turkish themselves. The Turkish speaking person can be any nationality. However, before authorising anyone to act on your behalf you should seek independent advice.
If you would like more information please do not hesitate to contact our office on 0256 612 3207 or email: admin@adviceturkey.org