Title deed (land registry record)

Tapu refers both to the official land registry record showing ownership and other rights in rem over immovable property in Türkiye, and to the deed evidencing that record. The registry is kept by land registry offices under state supervision, and the state bears strict liability for damage arising from the keeping of the records.

Transfer of ownership as a rule requires an official deed executed at the land registry office; privately drafted sale agreements do not pass title. The records are public to anyone showing a plausible interest, and acquisitions by third parties relying in good faith on the register are protected.

Reviewing the record before purchase reveals encumbrances such as mortgages, attachments and annotations. Discrepancies between the property description in the deed and the actual situation on the ground are a frequent source of disputes.