Cadastre Modernization Project for Turkey

The Cadastre Modernization Project for Turkey is to contribute to government agenda to improve quality and effectiveness of public services through spreading and making effective e-government applications. The specific objective of the project is to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of the land registry and cadastre services. This objective will be achieved through: (i) renovating and updating cadastre maps to support digital cadastre and land registry information; (ii) making the digital land registry and cadastre information available to public and private entities; (iii) improving customer services in land registry and cadastre offices; (iv) improving human resources in the Turkish Land Registry and Cadastre Agency (TKGM); and (v) developing policies and capacity to introduce in Turkey best international practices in property valuation. The project will include the following components: (i) cadastre and land registry renovation and updating, which will support the conversion (into digital format), updating and integration of existing analogue and digital cadastre information, land registry and related data, into updated, accurate, consistent and standardized legally agreed cadastral renovated digital map and data sets, that will be available for entry into TAKBIS; (ii) improved service delivery, which will support the modernization of the TKGM infrastructure so as to improve TKGM's ability to provide core services to the Government and citizens of Turkey; (iii) human resources and institutional development, which will support the development of strategic plans and human resources development plans to ensure that the TKGM personnel skills match the strategic needs of the organization; and (iv) project management. This component will finance the project management costs, including the procurement and financial management consultants, the incremental operation costs to supervise the central and field activities, and the monitoring and evaluations costs including the costs of customer surveys. The project focuses on improving government services. While most of project investments are oriented towards renovation of cadastre, the ultimate objective of the operation is to improve government services in registering property rights and in providing land and real estate information to public and private sectors.

Difficulties on Foreigners' Mortgage Loans Transactions for Real Estate in Turkey

By Majlinda BEU

Mortgage system is now applicable in Turkey since last year. Now the availability of mortgage loan by banks is not only practical for real estate acquisitions by Turkish citizens but by the foreigners as well. This is one of the advantages regulated by Turkish Mortgage Law. However, in practice is not seemed as much easy as legally. Regarding this issue bank directors in Turkey are claiming that even though there is a legal regulation for mortgage loans for foreigners still there procedures such as military permits which hang up acquisition transactions. The a.m. permits are practiced in accordance with 2565 numbered Law of Military Forbidden and Security Zones. These permits should be provided for villa type’s acquisition transactions by foreigners at zones such Fethiye, Bodrum, Antalya, Marmaris etc. Moreover, the military permits should be issued by military authorities and this procedure takes time aprox. 4 – 5 months.
For mortgage loan transactions, Garanti Bank makes agreements with loan offices in UK. However, the foresaid military permit hangs up all these transactions. Consequently, in order to increase the foreigners’ real estate acquisitions in Turkey, such permit should be annulled or at least the obtaining period of this permit should be decreased.
Meanwhile, in Turkey except Garanti Bank, Iş Bank and Denizbank provide mortgage loans for foreigners. However this is not enough if we have a look at foreigners acquisitions in Spain such as 2,5 million and in Turkey only 40 thousands.