Can the deposit be refunded in case of termination of the sale contract in Turkey?

Despite the fact that any real estate transaction is confirmed by signing a sales contract, the contract itself is not a document confirming the transfer of ownership. The transfer of ownership is only certified by a certificate of registration of ownership. In Turkey it is a tapu.

Important: Contracts executed by a notary (Satış vaadi sözleşmesi) or executed at the Cadastral Office are legally binding. If you have such a contract, the possibility of returning the deposit (kapora) depends on the clauses in the contract, namely:

"bağlanma parası" - the deposit is refundable

"cayma parası" - the deposit is non-refundable.

It is also important that the reasons and conditions for return/non-return of the deposit are clearly stated in the contract.

A simple written contract that does not conform to the official form is not valid, so if such a contract is concluded, the buyer always has the right to return the deposit.