The legal basis of the grant and loan support provided by the State for the transformation of risky buildings in Istanbul, the support components, the application and payment process, the current position as of 2026 and frequent disputes between flat owners and contractors.
This article was prepared in October 2026. The duration of the campaign and support amounts are set and changed by Presidential decisions. The amounts stated in the article are those set by the amendment published in the Official Gazette of 1 May 2025. Before applying, current amounts and periods should be confirmed with the Ministry of Environment, Urbanisation and Climate Change and the district municipality. The Turkish version of this article prevails.
The scheme known as “Yarısı Bizden” (“Half from Us”) is a State support programme providing owners with direct grants and long-term loan support for the renewal of risky buildings in Istanbul. The basic idea of the programme is to make it easier for owners to reach agreement with a contractor by having the State cover part of the cost of transformation. However, the support does not replace the contract between the owners and the contractor, nor does it remove disagreements among flat owners. In practice, most problems arise not from the support itself but from these legal relationships required to access it.
Legal basis
The programme is support provided within the framework of Law No. 6306 on the Transformation of Areas under Disaster Risk. The principles of the support were set by Presidential Decision No. 8189 of 22 February 2024, published in Official Gazette No. 32469 of 23 February 2024. Support amounts and certain conditions were later amended by Presidential Decision No. 9768, published in Official Gazette No. 32887 of 1 May 2025.
These decisions also set the limits of the campaign: support is given only for buildings in the province of Istanbul determined to be risky buildings under Law No. 6306. Implementations in areas declared risky areas or reserve building areas are subject to separate principles.
Is the campaign continuing in 2026?
The Decision provides not a separate application deadline but a deadline by which grant undertakings and loan agreements may be made. This date is 31 December 2026. By Presidential Decision No. 10960, published in Official Gazette No. 33181 of 27 February 2026, this provision was amended so that they may be made for risky buildings approved under Law No. 6306 by 31 December 2026. In September 2026, the President and the Minister announced publicly that the period would be extended to 31 December 2027. However, whether the decision on this extension has been published in the Official Gazette, and its conditions of entry into force, could not be verified from an official source at the time of writing; this should be confirmed before applying.
Owners considering an application should therefore confirm with the Ministry or the district municipality whether the campaign is continuing and which amounts apply. Even if the period is extended, it should be borne in mind that support amounts will be determined according to the decision in force on the date of application.
Support components
The support components set by the amendment of 1 May 2025 are as follows:
- Dwelling: A grant of TRY 875,000 and a loan of TRY 875,000 for each independent unit
- Workplace: A grant of TRY 437,500 and a loan of TRY 437,500 for each independent unit
- Additional independent units: Where the same right holder has more than one independent unit, a loan of TRY 1,750,000 for each dwelling and TRY 875,000 for each workplace other than the first unit
- Relocation (moving) support: TRY 125,000, paid once per independent unit and non-refundable to the owner, tenant or holder of a limited right in rem who lives in or uses the independent unit
The grant is not repaid. Under the Decision, the loan is provided for a term of up to one hundred and twenty months including a twenty-four-month grace period; the first twelve instalments are interest-free, after which the loan balance is updated each year by half of the change in the Consumer Price Index. No income or credit score review is made when the loan is granted; a mortgage of twice the loan amount is established as security. These details of the loan terms should be checked separately from the text of the loan agreement before it is signed. According to press reports, relocation support and monthly rent allowance cannot be received at the same time; the right holder must choose one of them.
Who can benefit?
To apply for support, the building must have been determined to be a risky building under Law No. 6306 and the determination must have become final. The owners must reach agreement with a contractor with technical and financial capacity, and a permit must be obtained for the new building. One of the campaign’s main limits is that the area of the new building (excluding areas such as car parks and shelters) must not exceed one and a half times the area of the existing building. This rule is intended to ensure that support is given to make the existing building safe, not to build a larger one.
Circumstances such as the building permit having been obtained before a certain date, or the building having benefited from another support programme, may affect access to support. These detailed conditions in the Decision should be confirmed with the Ministry unit for the specific building before applying.
Application and payment process
- Risky building determination: The owners apply to an institution licensed by the Ministry to have a determination made. The determination is entered in the land register and notified to the owners.
- Flat owners’ decision: The owners meet about reconstruction, and a decision is taken by absolute majority in proportion to shares under Article 6 of Law No. 6306.
- Contractor agreement: The owners agree with a contractor and sign the contract.
- Application to the municipality: The right holder status and support application is made through the district municipality; the process is carried out with the Ministry’s relevant units in Istanbul. It is stated that no separate e-Devlet application is provided for.
- Signing the agreements: Grant and loan agreements are signed on the date set by the Ministry.
- Payments: Support amounts are paid not to the owners but to the contractor according to the progress of construction.
Under Article 3 of Decision No. 8189 as in force, payments are made in three equal instalments, at the foundation level, completion of the load-bearing system and completion of construction stages, to the contractor’s current account at the bank. The different percentages reported in the press do not appear in the Decision; what should be relied on are the provisions of the Decision and the support agreement signed.
Common legal problems in practice
Disagreement among flat owners
In most cases, applying for support requires a flat owners’ decision on reconstruction of the building. Article 6 of Law No. 6306 allows decisions to be taken for risky buildings by absolute majority in proportion to shares. The shares of owners who do not join the decision are sold by public auction to the co-owners who joined the decision, at not less than market value; if they cannot be sold, they may be purchased by the bodies listed in the Law (the Urban Transformation Presidency, the Administration or TOKİ, the Housing Development Administration). In 2023, Law No. 7471 reduced the decision quorum from two thirds to absolute majority. This process is subject to formal rules, such as holding the decision meeting properly and communicating offers correctly through a notary or by announcement. Procedural errors may be the subject of actions seeking annulment of the decision taken.
Objection to the risky building determination
If one of the owners considers that the building is not risky, they may object within fifteen days of notification. The objection is examined by the Ministry’s technical boards. Actions may be filed in the administrative courts against technical board decisions. The time limit for filing actions against acts under Law No. 6306 is thirty days from notification. Details are on our Risky Building Determination and Objection page.
Choosing the contractor and the contract
The support does not replace the contract between the owners and the contractor. The existence of State support does not reduce the need to prepare the contract carefully; on the contrary, because payments are made directly to the contractor, supervising construction and securing delivery times become even more important. The contract should clearly regulate delivery time, delay penalties, rent allowance, allocation of independent units, material standards and the stages to which title transfers are tied. These provisions are discussed in detail on our Flat-for-Land Construction Contracts page.
Delay and the contractor abandoning the work
If construction is delayed or the contractor abandons the work, what happens to the support payments and the owners’ rights becomes a problem. Establishing the balance between support amounts paid to the contractor and the work completed, whether the work can continue with a new contractor, and claiming the delay penalty are the main issues to be addressed in this situation. Recording the current state of the work through a determination of evidence plays a decisive role in later disputes.
Right holder problems
In buildings where heirs have not yet partitioned the estate, where there is a usufruct, or where co-ownership is complex, determining the right holders may take time. A certificate of inheritance must be obtained, transfers by inheritance registered, and it must be clarified to whom the support per independent unit belongs. For tenants, relocation support and eviction periods require separate assessment.
Risks arising from loan and grant agreements
The loan agreement includes establishing a mortgage over the independent unit in the new building. If repayments are not made, this mortgage may be enforced. Grant and loan agreements may also contain provisions for recovering amounts paid if construction is not completed or the conditions are breached. It is therefore important to examine the agreements carefully before signing.
Available legal remedies
Acts such as the risky building determination, technical board decisions, decisions on right holder status and refusal of a support application are administrative acts subject to review by the administrative courts. Annulment of flat owners’ decisions, sale of shares and disputes with the contractor are resolved in the civil courts. In contractor disputes, sending a notice, having a determination of evidence made and, where appropriate, using mediation should be considered before filing an action. These matters are discussed in detail in our article on owners’ rights in urban transformation and construction contracts.
Frequently asked questions
Is the Yarısı Bizden campaign valid outside Istanbul?
No. Presidential Decision No. 8189 limits the support to risky buildings in the province of Istanbul.
Is it mandatory to use the grant and loan together?
According to press reports, using the grant and loan together is not mandatory. The choice on this is made at the stage of signing the support agreement.
Is the support money paid to me?
No. Grant and loan amounts are paid directly to the contractor according to the progress of construction. Relocation support, however, is paid to the owner or tenant living in the building.
Some of my neighbours oppose the transformation. What will happen?
Under Law No. 6306, a decision can be taken by absolute majority in proportion to shares. The shares of owners who do not join the decision may be sold under the procedure in the Law. Conducting the process properly is important in view of annulment actions that may be filed later.
Has the campaign period been extended?
In September 2026 it was announced publicly that the period had been extended to 31 December 2027. Whether the decision on the extension has been published in the Official Gazette, and whether the amounts have changed, should be confirmed with the Ministry.
Assessment
Although the Yarısı Bizden campaign offers an important source of financing for owners of risky buildings, participation depends on the soundness of the legal relationships the owners establish among themselves and with the contractor. The fact that support amounts and the campaign period may change makes it essential to confirm the current position before applying.
For owners, the greatest risk is the impression that the existence of State support makes contract preparation unimportant. In fact, most disputes arise from shortcomings in the contract, not the support. Assessing every stage from a legal perspective, from the risky building determination and the flat owners’ decision to the contractor agreement and the support agreements, helps the process run smoothly. For the general framework, see our Urban Transformation and Zoning Law page, and for your questions you can contact us.
References
- Law No. 6306 on the Transformation of Areas under Disaster Risk (in Turkish)
- Presidential Decision No. 8189 (Official Gazette, 23 February 2024, No. 32469)
- Presidential Decision No. 9768 (Official Gazette, 1 May 2025, No. 32887)
- Implementing Regulation of Law No. 6306 (Legislation Information System, in Turkish)
- Ministry of Environment, Urbanisation and Climate Change
This content is provided for general information and does not constitute legal advice.