1. General Considerations in Land Share Construction Contracts

According to judicial decisions, for land share construction contracts to be valid, the participation or approval of all shareholders is mandatory as per Article 692 of the Turkish Civil Code. To protect the land owner, the contract must clearly specify the conformity of the construction to the plan and project, the permit acquisition periods, and the key handover dates. The Supreme Court considers the phrase “turnkey” to include the acquisition of the building occupancy permit (iskan) as an established practice. Additionally, the land owner’s obligation to deliver the property to the contractor “empty and free of debt,” and the effect of encumbrances (mortgage, lien, etc.) on the title deed on the construction period, must be clearly regulated in the contract.

2. Rent Loss, Delay Compensation, and Penalty Clauses

To protect the land owner’s rights in case of delay, the following types of clauses should be added to the contract:

Delay Compensation (Rent Loss): The land owner’s right to rent compensation arises by law if the contractor fails to perform their obligation on time. The contract may stipulate a fixed monthly amount (e.g., 800 TL or 500 Euro) or payment based on the fair market rent for each independent section. It should be stated that the compensation will become due from the beginning of the month following the required delivery date and will continue until the independent sections are delivered by protocol.

Penal Clause: When a penal clause accessory to performance (Art. 158/II of the Code of Obligations) is agreed upon, the obligation to submit a “reservation” at the time of delivery should not be forgotten; otherwise, this right may be forfeited. The contract may include provisions stating that both delay compensation and the penal clause (e.g., 25 USD per m² per month or 10 USD per m² per day) can be claimed together.

Rental Support: A clause can be added stating that a fixed monthly rental support (e.g., 20,000 TL) will be paid to the landowners during the construction period.

3. Transfer Costs and Financial Obligations

To alleviate the financial burden on the landowner, the following provisions should be added to the contract:

It should be explicitly stated that SGK premiums, municipal payments, condominium title deed expenses, type correction fees, and all taxes/expenses shall belong to the contractor.

It should be stipulated that the subscription costs for electricity, water, and natural gas for the apartments allocated to the landowner shall be covered by the contractor.

It must be agreed that increases in construction costs cannot be passed on to the landowner, and the contractor cannot make additional demands (fixed price/share basis).

4. Provisions Restricting Contractor’s Demands and Guarantees

To prevent unjust demands by the contractor and to compel performance, the following restrictions should be stipulated:

Phased Transfer and Occupancy Permit Condition: Title deed transfers should be made according to the progress level of the construction (e.g., 80% transfer at 80% completion), and the transfer of the final apartment (security apartment) must be conditional upon obtaining the occupancy permit and complete delivery.

Written Approval Condition: The obligation to obtain “written approval” from the landowner for project amendments or changes must be introduced. It should be stated that the contractor will be responsible for any loss of value arising from changes made without written approval.

Prohibition of Termination and Claim for Expenses: Penal provisions may be included stating that the contract will be automatically terminated if a license is not obtained or construction is not started within a certain period, and the contractor will not be able to claim the expenses incurred.

5. Analysis Regarding the Immutability of Apartment Floor and Number 

To protect the independent sections to be given to the landowner, the following details should be included in the contract:

With a sketch or sharing table appended to the contract, the floor, number, facade, and m² (square meter) information of the apartments allocated to the landowner must be clearly defined.

The phrase “The floor and numbers of the designated apartments cannot be changed in any way” should be added; it should be stipulated that in case a mandatory change is required due to zoning regulations, written consent from the landowner must be obtained, otherwise, any resulting difference in value will be compensated by the contractor.

In cases where the contractor reduces the size or changes the nature of the apartments belonging to the landowner (e.g., building a residence instead of a shop), it is emphasized in court decisions that the landowner has the right to refuse the transfer of title and prevent registration under the rule of “simultaneous performance.”

6. Additional Information Obtained from Secondary Sources 

In addition to the above, court decisions as secondary sources provide the following contexts:

Zoning Change Risk: In agreements made according to the zoning status at the contract date, it should be clarified how the landowner will benefit from subsequent zoning increases (e.g., floor increase); otherwise, courts may base their decisions on the intent at the contract date.

Supervision Authority: Since the landowner’s authority to supervise the construction may create a risk of being considered to have “given approval” in future claims of defects and incomplete work, the boundary between the exercise of supervision authority and project revision approvals should be clearly defined.

Enforceability: It is critically important that the descriptions of apartments in the contract, such as “D block 4th floor apartment number 7”, prior to the establishment of floor easement, are made compatible with title deed and project data to avoid future enforceability issues.

Statute of Limitations: It should not be forgotten that compensation lawsuits filed due to incomplete performance are subject to a 5-year statute of limitations from delivery, but periodic receivables such as rent compensation become due at the end of each month and are subject to separate statutes of limitations.

Conclusion: The strongest protection for the landowner is provided by phased title transfer dependent on occupancy permit, separation of delay compensation and penalty clause, and making project changes subject to written approval. A writing suggestion.

Frequently Asked Questions

Arsa payı karşılığı inşaat sözleşmesi geçerli sayılmak için hangi şartları taşımalıdır?

Arsa payı karşılığı inşaat sözleşmelerinin geçerli olabilmesi için tüm paydaşların katılımı veya açık onayı zorunludur; aksi halde sözleşme kesin hükümsüz sayılabilir. Ayrıca inşaatın projeye uygunluğu, ruhsat süreleri ve anahtar teslim tarihi açıkça belirlenmelidir. Yargı uygulamasına göre “anahtar teslim”, yalnızca fiili teslimi değil, iskan (yapı kullanma izin belgesi) alınmasını da kapsar; iskan alınmadan teslim gerçekleşmiş sayılmaz.

Yüklenici inşaatı geç teslim ederse arsa sahibi kira kaybı ve cezai şartı birlikte isteyebilir mi?

Evet. Arsa sahibi, gecikme halinde kira kaybı (gecikme tazminatı) talep edebilir; bu hak kanundan doğar. Buna ek olarak sözleşmede kararlaştırılmışsa ifaya ekli cezai şart da talep edilebilir. Ancak cezai şart için, teslim anında ihtirazi kayıt ileri sürülmesi zorunludur. Sözleşmede kira tazminatının hangi tarihten itibaren muaccel olacağı ve teslim tutanağına kadar devam edeceği açıkça yazılmalıdır.

Tapu devri yüklenici lehine erken yapılırsa arsa sahibi hangi risklerle karşılaşır?

Erken ve koşulsuz tapu devri, arsa sahibinin en büyük riskidir. Bu nedenle tapu devirleri aşamalı yapılmalı; son daire veya “teminat dairesi” devri mutlaka iskan alınması ve eksiksiz teslim şartına bağlanmalıdır. Yargı kararlarında, iskan alınmadan yapılan son tapu devrinin arsa sahibini ciddi hak kayıplarına uğrattığı sıklıkla vurgulanmaktadır.

Sözleşmede belirlenen dairelerin katı, numarası veya niteliği sonradan değiştirilebilir mi?

Hayır. Arsa sahibine bırakılan bağımsız bölümlerin kat, numara, cephe ve m² bilgileri sözleşme eki kroki veya paylaşım tablosu ile net şekilde belirlenmelidir. Bu dairelerin tek taraflı olarak değiştirilmesi mümkün değildir. İmar mevzuatı nedeniyle zorunlu bir değişiklik doğarsa, arsa sahibinin yazılı muvafakati şarttır; aksi halde oluşan değer kaybı yüklenici tarafından tazmin edilir ve arsa sahibi tapu devrinden kaçınabilir.

Why is Expert Lawyer Support Necessary?

Construction contracts in exchange for land share are not merely a “construction agreement”; they are extremely complex contracts involving transfer of ownership, long-term performance, high economic value, and a significant risk of disputes. A single wrongly or incompletely drafted clause can result in loss of rent, occupancy permit (building use permit) issues, title deed transfer obstacles, or litigation processes that can last for years.

For this reason, preparing the contract with provisions that are in line with Supreme Court precedents, highly enforceable, and strongly secure the landowner carries significant risk without the legal foresight of an expert lawyer. Specifically, clauses regarding title deed transfer, penal clause, occupancy permit condition, and project modification cannot be safely structured without professional support.

At this point, 2M Hukuk Law Office, based in Tuzla / Istanbul, provides effective and reliable legal support to landowners regarding construction contracts in exchange for land share, leveraging its judicial practice and contract experience in both drafting contracts and preventing potential disputes.