Inheritance Law Law
This section addresses certificates of inheritance, wills, reduction (tenkis) and testator-collusion actions, and the partition of estates under the Turkish Civil Code.
Estate Partition: Partition Agreement and Dissolution of Joint Ownership
Ending the heirs' joint ownership under TMK arts.640-651
How is the estate partitioned, and when is a partition agreement required? Dissolution of joint ownership (izale-i şuyu) where no agreement is reached.
Upon the testator's death, the estate becomes the subject of joint ownership among the heirs (TMK art.640). This joint ownership ends either by the parties' agreement, in a partition agreement, or — failing agreement — by court order.
Nature of Joint Ownership
Under joint ownership, no heir may dispose individually of his or her share; all dispositions require unanimity. This complicates transactions such as the sale or letting of immovable property or the creation of limited real rights over it.
An heir may transfer his or her share in the estate; however, where the transferee is not an heir, the form and effects of the transfer are separately assessed. Such a transfer does not by itself alter the nature of the joint ownership; the transferee may, however, acquire a right to demand partition.
Partition Agreement
Under TMK art.676, the heirs may agree in writing on the partition of specific assets in the estate. The partition agreement requires the written form for validity; a separate land-registry transfer is required to register immovable property in the names of the individual heirs.
Because the partition agreement is freely shaped by the parties, it is not bound by the statutory shares. The heirs may freely choose for one to take cash, another to take an immovable, and so on.
Failure to Agree: Dissolution of Joint Ownership
Where the heirs cannot agree, any heir may bring an action for the dissolution of joint ownership (izale-i şuyu) before the Civil Court of Peace. The action concerns the movable or immovable assets in respect of which dissolution is sought.
The court orders partition in kind where this is possible and, failing that, partition by sale (TMK art.699). Where sale is ordered, the immovable is sold by public auction conducted by the enforcement office and the proceeds are distributed among the heirs according to their shares.
Practical Considerations
In inheritance disputes, the first step is to clarify the status of the heirs, the scope of the estate and any dispositions on death. Civil-registry records, certificates of inheritance, land-registry records, bank correspondence, the records of the opening of a will and any transfers made by the deceased during their lifetime should be reviewed together.
The time limits and types of action for matters such as reduction, testator collusion, renunciation of inheritance, annulment of a will and inheritance waiver differ from one another. Correctly identifying the date of knowledge, the opening of the estate, the opening of the will and the date of any renunciation declaration prevents the loss of rights.
Because intra-family transactions are often conducted without written documents, bank receipts, the values reflected in the deed, the testator's economic needs, witness accounts and patterns of actual use are particularly important. The earlier the evidence is prepared, the more soundly the legal framework of the dispute can be established.
Relevant Statutory Provisions
- TMK m.640Joint ownership among the heirs
Original (Turkish, official):
Madde 640- Birden çok mirasçı bulunması hâlinde, mirasın geçmesiyle birlikte paylaşmaya kadar, mirasçılar arasında terekedeki bütün hak ve borçları kapsayan bir ortaklık meydana gelir. Mirasçılar terekeye elbirliğiyle sahip olurlar ve sözleşme veya kanundan doğan temsil ya da yönetim yetkisi saklı kalmak üzere, terekeye ait bütün haklar üzerinde birlikte tasarruf ederler. Mirasçılardan birinin istemi üzerine sulh mahkemesi, miras ortaklığına paylaşmaya kadar bir temsilci atayabilir. Mirasçılardan her biri, terekedeki hakların korunmasını isteyebilir. Sağlanan korumadan mirasçıların hepsi yararlanır. Bir mirasçı ödemeden aciz hâlinde ise, mirasın açılması üzerine diğer mirasçılar, haklarının korunması için gerekli önlemlerin gecikmeksizin alınmasını sulh mahkemesinden isteyebilirler.
English summary (non-binding):
Article 640- Where there are multiple heirs, on the passing of the inheritance and until partition, a joint ownership arises among the heirs covering all rights and obligations in the estate. The heirs own the estate jointly and, subject to powers of representation or administration arising from contract or law, dispose jointly of all rights belonging to the estate. On the application of any heir, the Civil Court of Peace may appoint a representative for the inheritance community until partition. Each heir may seek the protection of the rights in the estate; the protection so secured benefits all heirs. Where one of the heirs is insolvent, the other heirs may, upon the opening of the succession, ask the Civil Court of Peace to take, without delay, the measures necessary to protect their rights.
Source: mevzuat.gov.tr · last reviewed: 2026-05-12
- TMK m.642Right to demand partition of the inheritance
Original (Turkish, official):
Madde 642- Mirasçılardan her biri, sözleşme veya kanun gereğince ortaklığı sürdürmekle yükümlü olmadıkça, her zaman mirasın paylaşılmasını isteyebilir. Her mirasçı, terekedeki belirli malların aynen, olanak yoksa satış yoluyla paylaştırılmasına karar verilmesini sulh mahkemesinden isteyebilir. Mirasçılardan birinin istemi üzerine hâkim, terekenin tamamını ve terekedeki malların her birini göz önünde tutarak, olanak varsa taşınmazlardan her birinin tamamının bir mirasçıya verilmesi suretiyle paylaştırmayı yapar. Mirasçılara verilen taşınmazların değerleri arasındaki fark para ödenmesi yoluyla giderilerek miras payları arasında denkleştirme sağlanır. Paylaşmanın derhâl yapılması, paylaşım konusu malın veya terekenin değerini önemli ölçüde azaltacaksa; sulh hâkimi, mirasçılardan birinin istemi üzerine bu malın veya terekenin paylaşılmasının ertelenmesine karar verebilir.
English summary (non-binding):
Article 642- Each heir, unless bound by contract or by law to maintain the joint ownership, may at any time demand the partition of the inheritance. Each heir may apply to the Civil Court of Peace for partition of specific assets in kind, or by sale where that is not possible. On the application of any heir, the judge — having regard to the estate as a whole and to each asset — partitions, where possible, by allocating each immovable in its entirety to one heir. Differences in value between the immovables allocated are settled by cash payments so as to equalise the inheritance shares. Where immediate partition would substantially reduce the value of the asset or the estate, the judge may, on an heir's application, order that the partition of that asset or of the estate be postponed.
Source: mevzuat.gov.tr · last reviewed: 2026-05-12
- TMK m.646Rules of partition (statutory and appointed heirs)
Original (Turkish, official):
Madde 646- Yasal mirasçılar, gerek kendi aralarında, gerek atanmış mirasçılarla birlikte mirası aynı kurallara göre paylaşırlar. Aksine düzenleme olmadıkça mirasçılar, paylaşmanın nasıl yapılacağını serbestçe kararlaştırırlar. Tereke mallarına zilyet olan veya mirasbırakana borçlu bulunan mirasçılar, paylaşma sırasında bu konuda eksiksiz bilgi vermekle yükümlüdürler.
English summary (non-binding):
Article 646- Statutory heirs partition the inheritance according to the same rules, both among themselves and together with appointed heirs. Unless otherwise provided, the heirs freely determine the manner of partition. Heirs who are in possession of assets of the estate or who are debtors of the testator are bound to provide complete information thereon at the time of partition.
Source: mevzuat.gov.tr · last reviewed: 2026-05-12
- TMK m.676Partition agreement
Original (Turkish, official):
Madde 676- Mirasçılar arasında payların oluşturulması ve fiilen alınması veya aralarında yapacakları paylaşma sözleşmesi mirasçıları bağlar. Paylaşma sözleşmesiyle mirasçılar, tereke mallarının tamamı veya bir kısmı üzerindeki elbirliği mülkiyetinin miras payları oranında paylı mülkiyete dönüştürülmesini de kabul edebilirler. Paylaşma sözleşmesinin geçerliliği yazılı şekilde yapılmasına bağlıdır.
English summary (non-binding):
Article 676- The formation of shares and their physical taking among the heirs, or any partition agreement concluded between them, is binding on the heirs. By a partition agreement, the heirs may also convert the joint ownership over all or part of the estate's assets into co-ownership in shares (paylı mülkiyet) proportionate to their inheritance shares. The validity of the partition agreement depends on its being made in writing.
Source: mevzuat.gov.tr · last reviewed: 2026-05-12
- TMK m.699Partition in kind or by sale
Original (Turkish, official):
Madde 699- Paylaşma, malın aynen bölüşülmesi veya pazarlık ya da artırmayla satılarak bedelinin bölüşülmesi biçiminde gerçekleştirilir. Paylaşma biçiminde uyuşma sağlanamazsa, paydaşlardan birinin istemi üzerine hâkim, malın aynen bölünerek paylaştırılmasına, bölünen parçaların değerlerinin birbirine denk düşmemesi hâlinde eksik değerdeki parçaya para eklenerek denkleştirme sağlanmasına karar verir. Bölme istemi durum ve koşullara uygun görülmezse ve özellikle paylı malın önemli bir değer kaybına uğramadan bölünmesine olanak yoksa, açık artırmayla satışa hükmolunur. Satışın paydaşlar arasında artırmayla yapılmasına karar verilmesi, bütün paydaşların rızasına bağlıdır.
English summary (non-binding):
Article 699- Partition is effected by dividing the asset in kind or by selling it through negotiation or auction and dividing the proceeds. Where no agreement is reached as to the form of partition, the judge, on the application of any co-owner, orders partition in kind and, where the resulting parts are not of equal value, equalises them by cash payments to the part of lesser value. Where partition in kind is inappropriate in the circumstances — in particular where the asset cannot be divided without a substantial loss in value — sale by public auction is ordered. Ordering an auction limited to the co-owners requires the consent of all co-owners.
Source: mevzuat.gov.tr · last reviewed: 2026-05-12
- HMK m.4Subject-matter jurisdiction of the Civil Court of Peace
Original (Turkish, official):
MADDE 4- (1) Sulh hukuk mahkemeleri, dava konusunun değer veya tutarına bakılmaksızın; a) Kiralanan taşınmazların, 9/6/1932 tarihli ve 2004 sayılı İcra ve İflas Kanununa göre ilamsız icra yoluyla tahliyesine ilişkin hükümler ayrık olmak üzere, kira ilişkisinden doğan alacak davaları da dâhil olmak üzere tüm uyuşmazlıkları konu alan davalar ile bu davalara karşı açılan davaları, b) Taşınır ve taşınmaz mal veya hakkın paylaştırılmasına ve ortaklığın giderilmesine ilişkin davaları, c) Taşınır ve taşınmaz mallarda, sadece zilyetliğin korunmasına yönelik olan davaları, ç) Bu Kanun ile diğer kanunların, sulh hukuk mahkemesi veya sulh hukuk hâkimini görevlendirdiği davaları, görürler.
English summary (non-binding):
Article 4- (1) Civil Courts of Peace, irrespective of the value or amount in dispute, hear: a) All actions arising from a lease relationship — including claims for sums due — and counter-actions thereto (save for the provisions of the Execution and Bankruptcy Act No. 2004 of 9 June 1932 on unenforced-judgment eviction); b) Actions for the partition of movable or immovable property or rights and for the dissolution of joint ownership; c) Actions in movable or immovable property limited to the protection of possession; ç) Actions assigned to the Civil Court of Peace or to its judge by this Code or by other statutes.
Source: mevzuat.gov.tr · last reviewed: 2026-05-12
The statutory provisions are reproduced for information purposes only. The current and official text on mevzuat.gov.tr is authoritative.
Conclusion
Agreement-based partition tends to produce a solution that reflects the parties' wishes and is more predictable. In a dissolution-of-joint-ownership action, the feasibility of partition in kind, the conditions of any sale and the costs should be assessed from the outset.
This article is for information purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. If you would like professional assistance on a specific matter, you may request a consultation.
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