Fethiye Lawyer and Law Firm: Legal Services for Foreign Nationals in English

Foreign nationals who live in, own property in or visit Fethiye regularly come across legal questions that are shaped by Turkish law but asked in another language. A Fethiye lawyer advises on these matters under Turkish law, and the law office of Av. Mustafa Kocatepe provides consultations, correspondence and document review in English for clients in Fethiye, Göcek, Ölüdeniz, Hisarönü, Kayaköy and the wider Muğla region.

Legal services for foreign nationals in Fethiye

Fethiye has a large community of foreign residents and property owners, and it receives a high number of visitors every year. Their legal questions usually concern buying or inheriting property, disputes with tenants or landlords, family matters and incidents that happen during a stay in Turkey. These matters are handled before Turkish courts, land registry offices and notaries, in Turkish and under Turkish law.

The office provides legal assistance to foreign nationals in the following areas:

• Property purchases, title deed checks and property disputes
• Inheritance of property located in Turkey and inheritance certificates
• Criminal proceedings, including detention, police statements and court hearings
• Rental disputes, divorce and other family matters, residence and citizenship procedures

Buying property in Fethiye as a foreign national

Foreign nationals can acquire property in Turkey within the limits set by Article 35 of the Land Registry Law No. 2644. Under that article, natural persons who are citizens of countries determined by the President of the Republic may acquire immovable property and limited real rights in Turkey. The total area acquired by foreign natural persons cannot exceed ten percent of the privately owned land in a district, and one person cannot acquire more than thirty hectares across the country. The President is authorised to double the per-person limit.

The same article sets further conditions. A foreign national who buys a plot without a building must submit the project to be developed on it to the relevant Ministry for approval within two years. Military forbidden zones, military security zones and strategic zones are also taken into account during the title deed procedure.

The form of the contract matters as much as the buyer’s eligibility. Article 237 of the Turkish Code of Obligations provides that a sale of immovable property is valid only if the contract is made in official form, and a promise to sell immovable property is not valid unless it is also made in official form. A private sales agreement signed only between the buyer and the seller therefore does not give the buyer a valid claim to the title. Ownership is transferred at the Land Registry Directorate.

Before a purchase, the title deed record is checked for mortgages, annotations and other restrictions, and the zoning status of the building is reviewed. Buildings constructed without a permit or in breach of zoning rules can be the subject of administrative sanctions, demolition orders and criminal proceedings under Article 184 of the Turkish Criminal Code, so the permit, occupancy and any building registration certificate are examined before the purchase. A detailed checklist is available in the article on legal support when buying property in Fethiye. Turkish-speaking readers can find more on real estate disputes on the Fethiye real estate law page in Turkish.

Inheritance of property in Turkey by foreign heirs

Turkish private international law separates movable and immovable property in inheritance. Under Article 20 of the Code on Private International and Procedural Law No. 5718, inheritance is governed by the national law of the deceased, but Turkish law applies to immovable property located in Turkey. A villa or apartment in Fethiye owned by a British, German or Dutch citizen is therefore inherited according to Turkish inheritance rules, whatever the deceased’s nationality.

This split has a practical consequence. The Turkish Court of Cassation, known as Yargıtay, held in its 7th Civil Chamber decision of 12.01.2026, E. 2025/3452, K. 2026/153, that because movables follow the deceased’s national law and immovables in Turkey follow Turkish law, a separate inheritance certificate must be issued for each.

Article 43 of the same code regulates jurisdiction. Inheritance cases are heard by the court of the deceased’s last domicile in Turkey. If the deceased had no domicile in Turkey, the case is heard by the court where the assets of the estate are located. The Yargıtay 5th Civil Chamber applied this rule to a deceased who lived abroad in its decision of 16.06.2025, E. 2025/5654, K. 2025/8741. For property in Fethiye, this means the courts in Fethiye.

Foreign heirs can acquire inherited immovable property only if reciprocity between Turkey and their country existed on the date of death. In its decision of 04.11.2025, E. 2025/3698, K. 2025/4648, the Yargıtay 7th Civil Chamber required the court to ask the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, through the Ministry of Justice, whether legal or factual reciprocity existed on that date. The same chamber stated in its decision of 18.11.2025, E. 2025/3813, K. 2025/4834, that the absence of reciprocity affects only the acquisition of immovables, and the foreign heir’s status as heir continues for the movable assets of the estate.

The area limits in Article 35 of the Land Registry Law also apply. Where property is inherited outside those limits, the owner is given a period of up to one year by the Ministry of Finance to dispose of it. If the property is not disposed of within that period, it is liquidated and its value is paid to the owner.

Registering inherited property in the heirs’ names requires an inheritance certificate, which is issued by a civil court of peace or a notary under Article 598 of the Turkish Civil Code. Errors in these certificates can arise where one of the heirs is a foreign national. In its decision of 07.01.2026, E. 2025/2458, K. 2026/81, the Yargıtay 7th Civil Chamber annulled a notary-issued certificate that had left out the deceased’s surviving spouse of foreign nationality, and the shares were redistributed to include the spouse.

The procedure is explained further in the article What is an Inheritance Certificate?, and Turkish-speaking readers can find a broader guide on the Fethiye inheritance law page in Turkish.

Criminal matters involving tourists and foreign residents

Traffic accidents, arguments that turn into assault allegations, and complaints made during a holiday in Ölüdeniz, Hisarönü or Çalış can lead to a foreign national being detained or called to give a statement. The Turkish Code of Criminal Procedure No. 5271 grants the same core rights to foreign suspects as to Turkish citizens.

Under Article 147, a suspect is told what they are accused of and that they have the right to choose a lawyer and to have that lawyer present during questioning. If the suspect cannot appoint a lawyer and wishes to have one, the bar association assigns a lawyer. A relative chosen by the suspect is informed of the arrest without delay, and the suspect is told that they have the legal right not to make any statement about the accusation. Article 149 adds that a suspect may be assisted by a lawyer at every stage of the investigation and the prosecution.

Language is protected by Article 202. If a suspect, defendant or victim does not speak enough Turkish to express themselves, the essential points are translated by an interpreter. During the investigation stage, the interpreter is appointed by the judge or the public prosecutor.

A detained person, their lawyer or legal representative, their spouse, or a first or second degree blood relative may apply to the criminal judge of peace against the prosecutor’s written order for arrest, detention or extension of detention. Under Article 91 of the same code, the judge examines the application on the file and decides without delay and in any case within twenty-four hours.

The Turkish Constitutional Court has underlined why these safeguards matter. In its individual application decision No. 2020/36865 of 21.06.2023, it stated that bringing a detained person before a judge promptly is intended to protect against ill-treatment, a risk that is highest in the first stage of detention. Where an arrest or detention was unlawful, Article 141 of the Code of Criminal Procedure allows the person to claim compensation for material and non-material damage from the State.

A more detailed overview of Turkish criminal procedure is available on the Fethiye criminal law page in Turkish.

Rental, family and residence matters

Foreign property owners often let their homes, and foreign residents often rent. Under Article 315 of the Turkish Code of Obligations, if a tenant does not pay rent that has fallen due, the landlord may give the tenant a written period to pay and state that the contract will be terminated if payment is not made. For residential and roofed business premises, this period is at least thirty days and starts on the day after the written notice is delivered.

Divorce between spouses of different nationalities raises the question of which law applies. Article 14 of Code No. 5718 provides that the grounds and effects of divorce are governed by the spouses’ common national law. If the spouses have different nationalities, the law of their common habitual residence applies, and if there is none, Turkish law applies. The same rule covers maintenance between divorced spouses and custody issues arising from the divorce.

Residence permits and Turkish citizenship applications are administrative procedures with their own documentation requirements. The article on real estate investment for Turkish citizenship explains how property purchases are connected to citizenship applications.

Consultations in English

Consultations, written correspondence and the review of contracts and title deed documents can be conducted in English. Court hearings, petitions and official filings in Turkey are made in Turkish. Where a party to criminal proceedings does not speak enough Turkish, an interpreter is appointed as described above, and documents issued abroad are generally submitted to Turkish authorities with a Turkish translation.

A consultation can be arranged by phone, WhatsApp or email. Matters concerning property in Fethiye can also be followed for clients who live abroad, through a power of attorney issued before a notary.

Areas served around Fethiye

The office is located in central Fethiye and serves clients in Fethiye town centre, Çalış, Ölüdeniz, Hisarönü, Ovacık, Kayaköy, Göcek, Seydikemer, Dalaman and Ortaca. Services are also provided more generally in Muğla province and in neighbouring provinces and districts. Appeals against first instance decisions from the Fethiye courts are examined by the Denizli Regional Court of Appeal.

Office address: Cumhuriyet Mah. 502. Sk. No:1/6, Fethiye, Muğla, Türkiye
Phone and WhatsApp: +90 506 773 39 69
Email: avmustafakocatepe@gmail.com
Bar registration: Muğla Bar Association, registration no. 2749

Frequently Asked Questions

Can foreigners buy property in Fethiye?

Yes. Under Article 35 of the Land Registry Law No. 2644, citizens of countries determined by the President of the Republic can acquire property in Turkey, including in Fethiye, subject to the area limits and zone restrictions set out in the law.

Is there a limit on how much land a foreigner can buy in Turkey?

Yes. The total area owned by foreign natural persons cannot exceed ten percent of the privately owned land in a district, and one person cannot acquire more than thirty hectares across Turkey. The President may double the per-person limit.

Does a sales agreement signed outside the land registry make me the owner?

No. Under Article 237 of the Turkish Code of Obligations, a sale of immovable property and a promise to sell immovable property are valid only if they are made in official form. Ownership passes when the transfer is completed at the Land Registry Directorate.

Which law applies to a foreigner’s house in Fethiye after their death?

Turkish law. Article 20 of Code No. 5718 provides that inheritance is governed by the national law of the deceased, but Turkish law applies to immovable property located in Turkey.

Which court hears an inheritance case about property in Fethiye?

The court of the deceased’s last domicile in Turkey hears the case. If the deceased had no domicile in Turkey, the court where the estate’s assets are located has jurisdiction, which for property in Fethiye is the court in Fethiye.

Do foreign heirs need a separate inheritance certificate for property in Turkey?

Yes. Because movables follow the deceased’s national law and immovables in Turkey follow Turkish law, the Yargıtay 7th Civil Chamber held in its decision of 12.01.2026, E. 2025/3452, K. 2026/153, that a separate inheritance certificate must be issued for each.

Can a foreign heir inherit a house in Turkey if there is no reciprocity with their country?

The absence of reciprocity on the date of death prevents the acquisition of the immovable property, but the person remains an heir for the movable assets of the estate. This was stated by the Yargıtay 7th Civil Chamber in its decision of 18.11.2025, E. 2025/3813, K. 2025/4834.

What rights does a foreign tourist have if detained by the police in Turkey?

The person is told what they are accused of, has the right to a lawyer and to remain silent about the accusation, and a relative they choose is informed of the arrest. If they cannot appoint a lawyer and want one, the bar association assigns a lawyer.

Will I have an interpreter in a Turkish criminal case?

Yes, if you do not speak enough Turkish to express yourself. Article 202 of the Code of Criminal Procedure requires the essential points to be translated by an interpreter, who is appointed by the judge or prosecutor during the investigation.

How can I object to my detention in Turkey?

The detained person, their lawyer, spouse or close relative can apply to the criminal judge of peace. The judge decides on the file without delay and in any case within twenty-four hours.

How much time must a landlord give a tenant who has not paid the rent?

For residential and roofed business premises, the written notice must give the tenant at least thirty days to pay. For other rentals the minimum is ten days. The period starts on the day after the notice is delivered.

Which law applies to a divorce between spouses of different nationalities in Turkey?

If the spouses do not share a nationality, the law of their common habitual residence applies. If they have no common habitual residence, Turkish law applies.

Can consultations be held in English?

Yes. Consultations, correspondence and document reviews can be conducted in English. Court hearings and official filings are made in Turkish.

Can I handle a property matter in Fethiye while living abroad?

Yes. Many procedures can be carried out through a power of attorney issued before a notary, so the matter can be followed in Fethiye while the client lives in another country.

Which areas around Fethiye does the office serve?

Fethiye town centre, Çalış, Ölüdeniz, Hisarönü, Ovacık, Kayaköy, Göcek, Seydikemer, Dalaman and Ortaca, and more generally the province of Muğla.

Legal notice: The information in this article is general in nature and does not constitute legal advice or a legal opinion. To avoid losing any rights, the specific circumstances of each case should be assessed by a lawyer. — Av. Mustafa Kocatepe, Muğla Bar Association, Registration No. 2749