Urban Transformation &
Zoning Law Guide.

1. What is urban transformation?

Urban transformation is the process of renewing building stock that carries earthquake and disaster risk, has completed its economic life, or is unsound, in line with current engineering and urban-planning principles. Because Turkey lies on an active seismic belt, replacing old buildings that received no engineering service with safe structures is critical for the safety of life and property.

The principal aims of the process are:

• Reducing earthquake risk: preventing loss of life by clearing buildings that carry a collapse risk.
• Renewing unsound building stock: converting unpermitted, illegal or low-quality structures into planned and safe buildings.
• Modern urbanism: raising quality of life with infrastructure, green areas, parking and social amenities.

2. Legal framework

Urban transformation runs on several complementary laws and regulations:

3. Core zoning concepts

To read transformation and investment decisions correctly, you need to understand the following zoning concepts:

Zoning plan (master / implementation)

The master zoning plan (nazım imar planı) is the upper-scale plan that sets land-use decisions and density at the regional level. The implementation zoning plan (uygulama imar planı) is the lower-scale plan that, in line with the master plan, defines building conditions on a parcel basis (roads, blocks, parcels, use).

KAKS — floor area ratio (FAR / Emsal)

The floor area ratio (Kat Alanı Katsayısı, KAKS) is the ratio of the total constructible building area on a parcel to the land area. For example, with a FAR of 1.50, a 1,000 m² plot carries a 1,500 m² construction right. It is the key determinant of saleable/usable area.

TAKS — ground coverage ratio

The ground coverage ratio (Taban Alanı Katsayısı, TAKS) is the ratio of the building's ground-floor footprint to the land area. It limits how much of the parcel may be covered by the building, and therefore the proportion of garden/open space.

Setback (building approach distance / çekme)

The minimum distance a building must leave from neighboring parcel boundaries, the road and other structures. It is defined in the zoning plan and regulation and directly affects how the building is positioned.

Subdivision and consolidation (ifraz / tevhid)

Subdivision (ifraz) is the division of one parcel into several parcels; consolidation (tevhid) is the merging of several parcels into a single parcel. These are the fundamental operations of parcel arrangement in zoning applications.

Parcelization (parselasyon)

The process of arranging land in line with the zoning plan — together with its roads, green areas and amenities — and converting it into zoning parcels (the application under Article 18 of Law No. 3194 falls within this scope).

Zoning status certificate (imar durumu belgesi / imar çapı)

An official document obtained from the municipality showing a parcel's building conditions (use, KAKS/FAR, TAKS, height, setback distances) under the zoning plan in force.

Building permit and occupancy permit (yapı ruhsatı / iskan)

The building permit (yapı ruhsatı) is the authorization obtained to start construction. The occupancy permit (yapı kullanma izni / iskan) is the document certifying that the completed building conforms to its permit and project, and that formally opens it to use.

4. Risky building, risky area and reserve building area

Law No. 6306 distinguishes three core concepts from one another:

How is a risky-building assessment carried out?

1. Application: the owner or legal representative applies to a licensed organization with the required documents (title deed, ID).
2. Assessment: an institution/organization licensed by the Ministry determines, through on-site inspection and a technical report, whether the building is risky.
3. Notification and annotation: a building found to be risky is notified to the administration, an annotation is recorded on the land registry, and owners are served notice.
4. Objection: owners have a right to object to the technical board within the period set out in the legislation from the date of notice.

5. Step-by-step process

From assessment to delivery, urban transformation generally follows these steps:

1. 1

   Assessment

   Upon application by the owner or legal representative, institutions/organizations licensed by the Ministry determine whether the building is risky.

2. 2

   Notification

   The risky-building finding is notified to the relevant administration (Urban Transformation Department / municipality), a risky-building annotation is recorded on the land registry, and owners are served notice.

3. 3

   Owner decision & agreement

   Owners are expected to decide on evacuation/demolition and reconstruction by the majority set out in the legislation, and to reach agreement on a contract with a contractor or on building by their own means.

4. 4

   Evacuation & demolition

   The risky building is evacuated and demolished by the owners within the periods granted by the legislation; if this is not done within the period, an administrative process may be triggered.

5. 5

   New project & construction

   A building permit is obtained for the approved project and a new, safe building is constructed. At this stage, zoning rights, phasing and the distribution of rights holdings are decisive.

6. 6

   Delivery

   Once construction is complete, the occupancy permit (iskan) is obtained, the independent units are delivered to the rights holders, and condominium ownership is established.

6. Owner rights & majority decision

In urban transformation, agreement among owners is essential. However, the process does not require the unanimity of all owners; a decision can be taken by the majority set out in the legislation.

• Majority rule: a decision taken by owners holding the majority of land shares is binding. Because the ratios for the decision majority changed with the 2023 regulations (Law No. 7471), the current legislation should be consulted for the exact percentage.
• Non-consenting owner: the shares of owners who do not join the decision taken by the majority may be processed under the procedures provided in the legislation (including valuation and sale processes).
• CMB-licensed valuation: to ensure fairness in rights holding and sharing, the valuation carried out by independent real-estate appraisal organizations licensed by the Capital Markets Board (SPK) is taken as the basis.

Because, in practice, the majority ratio, the procedures regarding non-consenting owners and the time periods may change, the current regulations of the Urban Transformation Department and legal advice should be relied upon in any specific situation to avoid loss of rights.

7. State support

Within the scope of urban transformation, the following support may generally be provided to rights holders:

8. What citizens should watch for

To avoid loss of rights, pay particular attention to the following points:

• Contractor agreement

  Draw up the construction contract in return for floor space (arsa payı karşılığı / flat-for-land) before a notary; clearly set out the delivery period, late-delivery penalty, sharing ratio, quality/specifications, security and termination conditions.

• Flat-for-land / revenue sharing

  Define from the outset whether it is a flat/m²-for-land model or sharing of sales revenue, which independent units go to whom, and how value differences are handled.

• Title deed and mortgage check

  Check the land's title registry, any mortgages/liens/annotations on it, and the share to be transferred to the contractor; consider having the contract annotated on the title registry.

• Strengthening or demolition?

  Not every risky building must be demolished; according to the technical report, strengthening (retrofitting) may be possible. Obtain an engineering assessment in terms of cost, time and safety.

• Earthquake insurance (DASK)

  Keep the Compulsory Earthquake Insurance (DASK) current and valid; renew the policy when the new building is delivered as well. DASK does not replace urban transformation but complements protection against earthquake risk.

9. Frequently asked questions