Deadline Readiness Review — Seller Identity and Authority
A transaction can be commercially advanced and still be legally unready if seller identity and authority remain unresolved. Before a non-refundable payment or title-transfer appointment, the file should answer without guesswork: who is the current right holder, who will sign, in what capacity, and what current evidence allows that person or representative to dispose of the property. Readiness is not a folder full of document images. It is the closure of every link between the land register, identity and representation chain before delay becomes expensive.
Set identity-and-authority gates in the transaction timeline
Divide the transaction into decision points: reservation or contract signature, deposit release, major payment, bank funding instruction and title transfer. Define the minimum identity evidence that must be closed before each gate. Before a substantial deposit, for example, the right holder should already be identified and no obvious authority discrepancy should remain. Before transfer, originals or verifiable documents, translations, corrections and representation decisions must be ready for actual use.
Prepare a current registry record and usable identification
Obtain a current land-register record for the exact property and retain it with the review date. Match the seller name and ownership share to an accepted identity document or passport. Do not leave a name, identity-number or birth-date mismatch for transfer day. If a registry correction is needed, start that process before compressing the transaction into a narrow closing window. TKGM Circular 2016/2 provides procedures for correcting identity information and other registry errors and illustrates why the issue should be handled as an official correction, not a manual assumption.
Where a representative signs, close the whole authority chain
An agent needs an appropriate power of attorney; a legal representative needs the decision or document that establishes the role; a legal entity requires authority evidence showing that the entity can perform the transaction and identifying its representatives. Do not rely on statements such as “the company manager is always authorized” or “this agent has handled matters for years.” Place every link in a simple chain: current right holder, legal basis of representation, person who will appear, transaction scope and date of last verification. A missing link means the transfer gate remains open.
Prepare foreign-party and translation requirements in advance
For foreign parties, confirm which identity document is acceptable and whether translation is required. TKGM guidance explains that a Turkish translation of passports or national identity documents using non-Latin alphabets may be requested, whereas Latin-alphabet documents are treated under the stated rule. TKGM guidance for foreign-party transactions also addresses sworn interpreters where a party does not know Turkish. Do not rely on an informal translation or assume the office will waive a missing requirement at the appointment.
Check capacity and late changes
The Land Registry Regulation requires consideration of capacity and permits the office to request a medical report when conduct creates doubt about the person’s ability to distinguish and act. This does not mean every seller needs a medical report; it means a genuine capacity concern cannot simply be ignored. Also check for late events such as death, opening of an estate, appointment of a guardian, a new company representative, revocation of an agent or a court measure affecting disposition. Any such event reopens the authority condition.
Run a practical fraud-resistance check
Before releasing purchase money, do not rely on bank details supplied in an isolated message by a person who has not been connected to the owner or authorized representative. Reconcile payment instructions to the seller identity, contract and authority chain. If the account or intended recipient changes at the last moment, stop payment and verify through an independent channel. This does not replace bank or legal controls, but it prevents a correct identity file from being undermined by payment to an unauthorized person.
Define the fallback if the file is not ready
If identity or authority is not closed by the deadline, the next step should already be written: postpone transfer, require personal attendance by the owner, obtain replacement representation documents, complete a registry correction, or use a contractual right to suspend payment or withdraw. Travel plans, exchange-rate pressure or broker urgency should never be converted into a reason to waive a legal authority defect.
Perform a closing-day recheck
On the final day, match the person appearing to identification again, confirm that the registry and authority documents have not materially changed and verify that the representative is the same person whose authority was reviewed. Reconcile any updated bank instructions. EKDS may support electronic identity verification, but transaction readiness still depends on the complete connection between person, right and authority.
Readiness standard
The transaction is deadline-ready when a current registry establishes the right holder, acceptable identification matches, the representation chain is complete and operative, translation, correction, capacity or approval issues have been closed, and payment instructions are consistent with the authorized party. If a material identity or authority issue remains unresolved, do not release a large payment and do not treat the existence of a title appointment as evidence that the defect has disappeared.
Official sources
- TKGM — Tapu Sicili Tüzüğü, articles 18 and 19.
- TKGM — Documents required for sale transactions.
- TKGM — FAQ on identification and passport translation.
- TKGM — Electronic Identity Verification System (EKDS).
- TKGM — Circular 2016/2 on registry corrections.