Eviction Law in Turkey: How Foreign Landlords Evict Problematic Tenants

A formidable legal shock experienced by foreign investors (CBI applicants, Arab Gulf syndicates, and European expats) acquiring prime Istanbul or Bodrum real estate is discovering that the Turkish Code of Obligations (Türk Borçlar Kanunu) is overwhelmingly pro-tenant. Purchasing a $1 million luxury Bosphorus flat DOES NOT legally empower the new foreign owner to simply change the locks or unilaterally demand an existing tenant to vacate the premises upon completion of the Title Deed (Tapu) transfer.

The 'New Owner' Paradox & The 6-Month Grace Period

When you acquire a property laden with an active lease, you statutorily inherit all rights and obligations of the previous landlord. If you, the new foreign owner, explicitly require the property for your own immediate personal use or habitation (Need-Based Eviction / İhtiyaç Nedeniyle Tahliye):

• The 30-Day Warning: You must formally dispatch an official Notarized Warning (İhtarname) to the tenant within exactly 30 Days (1 month) of the Tapu registration, declaring your ownership and personal need to occupy the flat.
• The Golden Rule: Upon receiving this warning, Turkish law grants the tenant a non-negotiable, mandatory 6-Month statutory grace period to comfortably remain in the property before you can file an eviction lawsuit.

Breach of Payment (The Default / Temerrüt)

If the tenant defaults on their mandatory rental obligation—transferring late or failing to pay entirely—you do not wait 6 months. Your Turkish lawyer immediately triggers an 'Execution Proceeding with Eviction Demand' (Örnek 13).

The 30-Day Guillotine: The tenant is served a judicial execution order. From the moment of delivery, they have precisely 30 Days to deposit the full arrears into the state or landlord's bank account. If they fail to pay by 11:59 PM on the 30th day, the landlord files a hyper-expedited lawsuit in the Execution Court. The eviction is 100% guaranteed, executed violently via state police intervention.

The Ultimate Shield: The Eviction Commitment

To bypass all these judicial delays, Rona Legal NEVER allows a foreign client to rent their property without securing a 'Tahliye Taahhütnamesi' (Written Eviction Undertaking). This separate legal document, signed by the tenant after they move in, explicitly guarantees they will vacate on a highly specific future date.

Armed with this document, if the tenant refuses to leave on the agreed date, the court bypasses lengthy trials and authorizes an immediate executive eviction. As a foreign investor, your asset’s liquidity depends entirely on airtight contracts; Rona Legal’s Litigation division ensures your rental yields flow uninterrupted, guarded by impenetrable SLA agreements.