Urban Transformation in Istanbul: What It Means If You Own or Buy in an Older Building
If an older Istanbul building is found to be at risk in an earthquake, it is demolished and rebuilt. You do not lose your ownership: you keep your share of the land, and with it a claim to the new building. What changes is who decides. Under Law No. 6306 of 2012, the law on the transformation of areas under disaster risk, the owners holding more than half of the shares decide the new project, and an owner who does not agree can have their share sold at auction.
In Istanbul the state also pays part of the cost. Under the Yarısı Bizden ("Half from us") campaign, a home in a building found risky receives 875,000 TL as a grant, an 875,000 TL loan and 125,000 TL of moving aid, and the support now runs to 31 December 2027.
This guide sets out how the process works, from the risk assessment to the share sale, as of November 2026, and the checks we make before a client buys in an older building.
The short answer
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| What law applies? | Law No. 6306 on the transformation of areas under disaster risk (2012) |
| Who finds a building risky? | A licensed institution authorised by the Ministry of Environment, Urbanisation and Climate Change, usually at the owners' request and cost |
| Where is it recorded? | In the declarations section of the title record, within 10 business days |
| Can I object? | Yes, within 15 days of the last day of the notice at the neighbourhood office |
| How long before demolition? | The owners are given a period of up to 90 days to vacate and demolish |
| Who decides the new building? | Owners holding more than half of the shares (two thirds before November 2023) |
| If I do not agree? | Your share is valued at market value and sold at open auction, not below that value |
| State support in Istanbul | Per home: 875,000 TL grant, 875,000 TL loan, 125,000 TL moving aid, until 31 December 2027 |
How a building is found risky
The process starts with a risk assessment. The owners, or their legal representatives, commission it from a licensed institution and pay for it. Each licensed institution must have at least one civil engineer on its team. If the owners do not act within the period they are given, the Ministry or the municipality can carry out the assessment and charge the owners their share of the cost.
When the report finds the building risky (riskli yapı), three things happen:
- The title record changes. The finding is sent to the land registry within 10 business days and recorded in the declarations section (beyanlar hanesi) of the title of every unit in the building.
- The owners are notified. A notice is posted on the building, sent through e-Devlet and announced at the neighbourhood office (muhtarlık) for 15 days.
- The objection period opens. An owner can object within 15 days of the last day of that announcement. A technical committee reviews the objection. A late objection is not processed.
The owners are then given a period of up to 90 days to vacate the building and demolish it. If they do not, the authorities do it.
"With an older apartment, the first document I ask for is not the floor plan, it is the title record. If a risky-building note is already in its declarations section, the client is not buying a flat, they are buying a share in a project that has not been agreed yet. That can be a good investment, but it has to be priced as one." — Cenan Can Tekin, Founder & General Manager, CCT Investments
Who decides what is built
Once a building is found risky, the owners decide together what replaces it: the contractor, the design and how the new units are shared out. Since Law No. 7471, published on 9 November 2023, these decisions are taken by owners holding more than half of the shares, counted by land share, not by heads. Before that, two thirds were needed.
An owner who does not join the decision is not left in the old building. The procedure is:
- The decision and the offer are notified to the owner by notary, or announced at the neighbourhood office.
- The owner has 15 days to review and accept.
- If they do not accept, their share is valued at market value by the Ministry and sold by open auction, at no less than that value. The owners who agreed have priority to buy it.
For a foreign owner who lives abroad, the practical point is the notice. A 15-day period runs whether or not you read your e-Devlet messages, so make sure someone in Istanbul, an agent or a lawyer with a power of attorney, receives and answers notices for you.
The state support in Istanbul
The Ministry's Yarısı Bizden campaign has applied to risky buildings in Istanbul's 39 districts since 22 February 2024. For a building-based transformation, the support per unit is:
| Support | Home | Shop or workplace |
|---|---|---|
| Grant | 875,000 TL | 437,500 TL |
| Loan | 875,000 TL | 437,500 TL |
| Moving aid, one-off | 125,000 TL | – |
| Total | 1,875,000 TL |
Presidential Decision No. 11902 of 19 October 2026 extended the support to 31 December 2027. The owners apply to the district municipality to be recognised as rights holders once the new building's construction servitude (kat irtifakı) is established. The published terms do not say whether foreign owners qualify, so confirm it with the district municipality before you count on it.
Buying into a transformation project
Not every buyer meets urban transformation in an old building. Many new projects in Istanbul are themselves the result of one: a developer or a municipality replaces an old neighbourhood with new buildings, and part of the new units is sold to buyers. Two projects on our listings are examples:
- Taksim 360, in Beyoğlu, built in partnership with the Beyoğlu Municipality. The developer calls it Turkey's first public-private partnership urban renewal project. Units start from USD 551,000.
- Essen Vadi, in Gaziosmanpaşa, which the developer describes as an urban transformation project developed with the Gaziosmanpaşa Municipality.
In a new project of this kind you buy a defined unit from the developer, as in any new-build. The questions are those of an off-plan purchase: the title type, the delivery date and the developer's record. Our guide to property scams and risks covers the protections for off-plan buyers.
Building standards also changed. The current Turkey Building Earthquake Regulation was published on 18 March 2018 and has applied since 1 January 2019. A building designed under it is assessed against a different standard from one designed decades earlier. Our article on why the earthquakes in Turkey were so devastating explains why that matters.
"When a client considers a flat in a building heading for transformation, I ask three questions before anything else: how many owners have already signed, who the contractor is, and what the agreement gives each flat in the new building. If nobody can answer them, the project is not ready, whatever the price." — Cenan Can Tekin
Before you buy in an older building: checklist
- You have a current title record of the unit and have read its declarations section for a risky-building note.
- You know the building's construction year and the permit it was built under, and whether it has an occupancy permit (iskan). See how iskan and title types connect.
- You have asked the seller and the building manager whether a risk assessment has been ordered or done.
- If a transformation is under way: you have seen the owners' decision, the share each owner holds and the contract with the developer.
- You know who will receive notices for you in Turkey, and have a power of attorney in place if you live abroad.
- If you are buying for citizenship or a residence permit, you have checked with a lawyer how a demolition would affect your application.
Frequently asked questions
Can my apartment be demolished without my consent?
Yes, once the building is found risky and any objection has failed. The owners are given up to 90 days to vacate and demolish; after that the authorities do it. You keep your share of the land, and your share in the new building is decided with the other owners.
What if I do not agree with the other owners?
Owners holding more than half of the shares decide. If you do not accept their decision within 15 days of notice, your share is valued at market value and sold at open auction, at no less than that value.
How do I know if a building has been found risky?
The finding is recorded in the declarations section of each unit's title record. Ask for a current title record before you sign anything.
Is there financial support for owners in Istanbul?
Yes. The Yarısı Bizden campaign gives 875,000 TL as a grant, an 875,000 TL loan and 125,000 TL of moving aid per home, until 31 December 2027. Ask the district municipality whether you qualify as a foreign owner.
Can I object to the risk finding?
Yes, within 15 days of the last day of the notice at the neighbourhood office. A technical committee reviews the objection.
If you are considering an apartment in an older building, or already own one, our Buyer Guide explains how we work, or contact us.
This guide gives general information and is not legal advice. Support amounts and deadlines change; confirm your own position with a Turkish lawyer before you buy or sign an agreement.
Sources
- Alomaliye: Law No. 6306 on the transformation of areas under disaster risk, 2012
- Lexpera: Implementing Regulation of Law No. 6306 (Articles 6, 7 and 8)
- Hukukçular Evi: objecting to a risky-building finding under Law No. 6306, September 2026
- Hukuki Haber: from two thirds to a simple majority, Law No. 7471 and Article 6 of Law No. 6306
- Yeni Şafak: Yarısı Bizden grant, loan and moving aid, May 2026
- CNBC-e: Yarısı Bizden support extended, 1,875,000 TL per home, October 2026
- Foreks: Presidential Decision No. 11902 extends Yarısı Bizden to 31 December 2027, October 2026
- Alomaliye: Turkey Building Earthquake Regulation, Official Gazette of 18 March 2018
