Kentkuran Hukuk
KENTKURAN
HUKUK
Category IReal Estate Law

Real Estate Law Law

Real estate law covers a broad range of areas — the land registry, lease relationships, condominium ownership, zoning legislation and construction contracts — and is one of the most frequently invoked fields of practice. The articles in this section are prepared in the light of current legislation and the case law of the Court of Cassation, addressing both practitioners and readers whose work brings them into contact with the law.

10 articlesWith statutory referencesAll Categories
LatestAction for Cancellation of Title Deed and Re-registration: Conditions, Time Limits and Procedure22 April 2026
06 February 2026

Mortgage and Housing Loans: Legal Framework and Practical Considerations

The buyer-bank relationship in mortgage-secured loans under TMK m.850-885

How does a housing loan work, and when can a mortgage be enforced? Consumer Code protections and the right of early repayment.

A housing loan is a long-term loan taken from a bank by a buyer in order to acquire an immovable. The bank secures its receivable by registering a mortgage on the immovable acquired. A mortgage gives the creditor the right to demand the sale of the immovable if the debt is not paid.

Legal Nature of the Mortgage

A mortgage is a limited in rem right regulated in TMK m.850 et seq. It secures a receivable limited to a specified monetary amount; when the debt is paid, the mortgage can be cancelled from the registry.

A mortgage does not transfer ownership of the immovable to the bank. Ownership remains with the buyer; the bank merely has the right to seek judicial sale of the immovable in case of non-payment.

Consumer Code Protection

The Consumer Protection Code (Law No. 6502) regulates housing-finance contracts under a separate heading. The consumer's right to pre-contractual information, the prohibition on changing the rate in fixed-rate contracts, and the right of early repayment fall within these protections.

In early repayment, the bank may claim an early-repayment compensation limited by law according to the remaining term. Compensation collected in excess of the statutory cap is unlawful and may be recovered.

Pre-contractual information forms, the payment schedule, insurance and fee items should each be examined separately, and any non-mandatory ancillary products presented as a condition of the loan should be scrutinised on the basis of the documents.

Enforcement Proceedings and Sale of the Immovable

If the borrower defaults, the bank initiates enforcement proceedings to realise the mortgage (İİK m.149 et seq.). A payment order is served on the borrower, and the periods for objection and asset declaration begin to run.

The auction sale proceeds cover the bank's receivable and enforcement costs. Any surplus is paid to the borrower; if the sum is insufficient, the bank pursues the remaining receivable against the borrower personally.

Practical Considerations

Real-estate disputes should be reviewed first on the basis of the land registry, encumbrance records, municipal and zoning status, actual use, and the payment records between the parties. In particular, in matters concerning deed cancellation, eviction, partition and condominium ownership a single document is rarely sufficient; official records must be assessed together with the factual situation.

Before commencing an action or transaction it is essential to identify time limits and the competent authority correctly. The court of the place where the immovable is located, the form requirements before notaries, land-registry procedures, dates of notices and service records can directly affect the course of the dispute.

When preparing evidence, the deed, official deed, lease, bank receipts, formal notices, building permits, management plans and other technical documents that may be subject to expert review should be filed separately. Such preparation enables a clearer legal framework both when filing an action and in settlement discussions.

Relevant Statutory Provisions

  • TMK m.850Types of immovable pledge (numerus clausus)

    Original (Turkish, official):

    Madde 850- Taşınmaz rehni, ancak ipotek, ipotekli borç senedi veya irat senedi şeklinde kurulabilir.

    English summary (non-binding):

    Article 850- An immovable pledge may be established only in the form of a mortgage (ipotek), a mortgage debenture (ipotekli borç senedi) or an annuity debenture (irat senedi).

    Source: mevzuat.gov.tr · last reviewed: 2026-05-12

  • TMK m.881Receivables securable; mortgage on third party's immovable

    Original (Turkish, official):

    Madde 881- Hâlen mevcut olan veya henüz doğmamış olmakla beraber doğması kesin veya olası bulunan herhangi bir alacak, ipotekle güvence altına alınabilir.
    İpoteğe konu olacak taşınmazın, borçlunun mülkiyetinde bulunması gerekmez.

    English summary (non-binding):

    Article 881- Any receivable, whether already existing or not yet arisen but certain or likely to arise, may be secured by mortgage. The immovable subject to mortgage need not belong to the debtor.

    Source: mevzuat.gov.tr · last reviewed: 2026-05-12

  • TMK m.883Cancellation of mortgage

    Original (Turkish, official):

    Madde 883- Alacak sona erince ipotekli taşınmazın maliki, alacaklıdan ipoteği terkin ettirmesini isteyebilir.
    (Ek fıkra:4/7/2019-7181/19 md.) İpotek süreli olarak kurulmuşsa, sürenin bitiminden itibaren otuz gün içinde ipotekli taşınmaz üzerinde 9/6/1932 tarihli ve 2004 sayılı İcra ve İflas Kanununun 150/c maddesinde belirtilen şerhin konulmaması hâlinde ipotek, malikin talebiyle tapu müdürlüğünce terkin edilir.

    English summary (non-binding):

    Article 883- When the receivable is extinguished, the owner of the mortgaged immovable may require the creditor to cancel the mortgage. If the mortgage was established for a fixed term and within thirty days of its expiry no annotation under Article 150/c of the Enforcement and Bankruptcy Code (Law No. 2004) has been placed on the immovable, the mortgage is cancelled by the Land Registry on the owner's request.

    Source: mevzuat.gov.tr · last reviewed: 2026-05-12

  • İİK m.149Enforcement by realisation of mortgage

    Original (Turkish, official):

    Madde 149 – (Değişik: 18/2/1965-538/69 md.)
    İcra memuru, ibraz edilen akit tablosunun kayıtsız şartsız bir para borcu ikrarını ihtiva ettiğini ve alacağın muaccel olduğunu anlarsa, borçluya ve taşınmaz üçüncü şahıs tarafından rehnedilmiş veya taşınmazın mülkiyeti üçüncü şahsa geçmişse ayrıca bunlara birer icra emri gönderir.
    Bu icra emrinde borcun otuz gün içinde ödenmesi ve bu müddet içinde borç ödenmez ve icra mahkemesinden icranın geri bırakılmasına dair bir karar getirilmezse, alacaklının taşınmazın satışını istiyebileceği bildirilir.
    
    İcranın geri bırakılması:
    Madde 149/a – (Ek: 18/2/1965-538/70 md.)
    İcranın geri bırakılması hakkında 33 üncü maddenin 1, 2 ve 4 üncü fıkraları uygulanır.
    (Değişik ikinci fıkra: 2/3/2005-5311/10 md.) İcra mahkemesinin geri bırakılma isteminin reddine ilişkin kararına karşı istinaf yoluna başvuran borçlu veya üçüncü şahıs, takip konusu alacağın yüzde onbeşi nispetinde teminat yatırmadığı takdirde satış durmaz. Bölge adliye mahkemesince talebin reddi hâlinde bu teminat, ayrıca hükme hacet kalmaksızın alacaklıya tazminat olarak ödenir.
    (Ek fıkra: 21/2/2007-5582/5 md.) 2499 sayılı Sermaye Piyasası Kanununun 38/A maddesinin birinci fıkrasında tanımlanan konut finansmanından kaynaklanan alacaklar ile Toplu Konut İdaresi Başkanlığının rehinle temin edilmiş alacaklarının takibinde, ikinci fıkrada yer alan oran yüzde otuz olarak uygulanır. İstinaf talebinin reddi halinde, teminat olarak alınan tutarın yarısı tazminat olarak alacaklıya ödenir. Alacaklının satış talebinden sonra takdir edilen ve kesinleşen kıymete göre, merhunun alacağı karşılamayacağı anlaşılırsa kalan tutar teminatın geriye kalan kısmından karşılanır, varsa teminatın kalan kısmı teminatı yatırana iade edilir.
    
    2 – Ödeme emri:
    Madde 149/b – (Ek: 18/2/1965-538/70 md.)
    149 uncu maddede yazılı haller dışındaki muaccel alacaklar için icra memuru, borçluya ve varsa taşınmaz sahibi üçüncü şahsa aşağıdaki kayıtlara uygun olmak üzere 60 ıncı maddeye göre birer ödeme gönderir.
    1. Ödeme müddeti otuz gündür.
    2. Yedi gün içinde itiraz olunmaz ve 1 numaralı bendde yazılı müddet içinde borç ödenmezse alacaklının taşınmazın satışını istiyebileceği bildirilir.

    English summary (non-binding):

    Article 149- If the enforcement officer finds that the deed of contract contains an unconditional acknowledgement of a monetary debt and that the receivable is due, he issues an enforcement order (icra emri) to the debtor and, where the immovable has been pledged by a third party or has passed to a third party, to those persons. The order states that the debt is to be paid within thirty days and that, failing payment within that period and absent a stay order from the enforcement court, the creditor may demand the sale of the immovable. Stay of enforcement (Article 149/a): paragraphs 1, 2 and 4 of Article 33 apply; if a debtor or third party appeals against the enforcement court's rejection of the stay, the sale is not suspended unless 15% security is deposited (30% in housing-finance receivables under SPK m.38/A and TOKİ pledged receivables). If the appeal is rejected, half (in housing-finance cases) or all of the security is paid to the creditor as compensation. For mature receivables outside Article 149, the enforcement officer issues payment orders under Article 60: 30-day payment period; if no objection is made within 7 days and the debt is not paid within 30 days, the creditor may demand sale.

    Source: mevzuat.gov.tr · last reviewed: 2026-05-12

  • TKHK m.32Housing-finance contracts

    Original (Turkish, official):

    MADDE 32- (1) Konut finansmanı sözleşmesi, konut edinmeleri amacıyla; tüketicilere kredi kullandırılması, konutların finansal kiralama yoluyla tüketicilere kiralanması, sahip oldukları konutların teminatı altında tüketicilere kredi kullandırılması ve bu kredilerin yeniden finansmanı amacıyla kredi kullandırılmasına yönelik sözleşmedir.
    (2) Konut finansmanı sözleşmesi yazılı veya mesafeli olarak kurulmadıkça geçerli olmaz. Geçerli bir sözleşme yapmamış olan konut finansmanı kuruluşu, sonradan sözleşmenin geçersizliğini tüketicinin aleyhine olacak şekilde ileri süremez.

    English summary (non-binding):

    Article 32- (1) A housing-finance contract is one for: providing credit to consumers for housing acquisition, letting housing to consumers by financial lease, providing credit to consumers secured by their existing housing, and refinancing such credits. (2) A housing-finance contract is valid only if concluded in writing or by distance contract. A housing-finance institution that has failed to conclude a valid contract cannot later invoke that invalidity against the consumer.

    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

A housing loan is a long-term, multi-item financing relationship. Before signing, the insurance, upfront charges, type of interest, and conditions for early repayment should be examined through the written documents.

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.

Request a Consultation