Q & A day
In this article, I want to respond to two different questions. One of these questions is about health insurance, whereas the other about property sales agreements.
In this article, I want to respond to two different questions. One of these questions is about health insurance, whereas the other about property sales agreements. The first of them is from Barbara. She says:
“Dear Sadettin,
My husband and I are retired British citizens now living in Turkey. My husband is 67 years old and I am 61 years old. Is there any health insurance available to us for a sensible premium at our age? We do not work or have any other health insurance, but we are in receipt of a British pension. Do I need to be a Turkish citizen for health insurance? Regards.”
Dear Barbara, for health insurance in Turkey you have two options. Firstly, you can purchase a private health insurance package. The presence of private health insurance has significant advantages in terms of health problems. The most important one of these advantages is that you don’t have to go to public hospitals. In Turkey, many private hospitals have agreements with international insurance companies. Thus, as an insured person, you can apply to the hospitals that you prefer. In this case, depending on the content of your insurance policy, treatment costs will be covered by the insurance company.
The other option for health insurance is you can apply for universal health insurance. But there are certain conditions for it. According to Law number 5510, “Foreigners who aren’t insured according to foreign legislation and have a residence permit in Turkey are considered insured under the universal health insurance regime. But the reciprocity principle is taken into consideration in granting that right.” Accordingly, you must reside in Turkey for at least one year to be the right holder. If your stay in Turkey has not been completed for one year, you cannot apply to universal health insurance. After one year, a general health insurance premium is begun. Additionally, if your health problems in Turkey are covered by the U.K. Health Insurance System, you cannot join the UHI in Turkey.
The other question came from Susan. She asks about property sales agreements. She says:
“Dear Sadettin,
I have read your article about ‘Informal property sales agreements’. This article was written as if for me. I have bought an apartment from a land agent in Muğla, Turkey. However, the sales agreement was made in notary. According to your article, is this agreement invalid? What should I do about it from now on? Best regards.”
Dear Susan, as I mentioned in my previous article, an informal property sales agreement is not valid under Turkish law. Besides, sale agreements made in notary are not completely informal. This document gives you some rights. However, you must register it at the Land Registry Directorate. Because the ownership of a property can only be registered at the Land Registry Directorate, it is the only authority where the title of a property can duly be transferred. It is a basic rule that a property should be registered with the Land Registry Directorate in order to conduct any kind of transaction related to it.
Hurriyet Daily News/18.06.2010
In this article, I want to respond to two different questions. One of these questions is about health insurance, whereas the other about property sales agreements. The first of them is from Barbara. She says:
“Dear Sadettin,
My husband and I are retired British citizens now living in Turkey. My husband is 67 years old and I am 61 years old. Is there any health insurance available to us for a sensible premium at our age? We do not work or have any other health insurance, but we are in receipt of a British pension. Do I need to be a Turkish citizen for health insurance? Regards.”
Dear Barbara, for health insurance in Turkey you have two options. Firstly, you can purchase a private health insurance package. The presence of private health insurance has significant advantages in terms of health problems. The most important one of these advantages is that you don’t have to go to public hospitals. In Turkey, many private hospitals have agreements with international insurance companies. Thus, as an insured person, you can apply to the hospitals that you prefer. In this case, depending on the content of your insurance policy, treatment costs will be covered by the insurance company.
The other option for health insurance is you can apply for universal health insurance. But there are certain conditions for it. According to Law number 5510, “Foreigners who aren’t insured according to foreign legislation and have a residence permit in Turkey are considered insured under the universal health insurance regime. But the reciprocity principle is taken into consideration in granting that right.” Accordingly, you must reside in Turkey for at least one year to be the right holder. If your stay in Turkey has not been completed for one year, you cannot apply to universal health insurance. After one year, a general health insurance premium is begun. Additionally, if your health problems in Turkey are covered by the U.K. Health Insurance System, you cannot join the UHI in Turkey.
The other question came from Susan. She asks about property sales agreements. She says:
“Dear Sadettin,
I have read your article about ‘Informal property sales agreements’. This article was written as if for me. I have bought an apartment from a land agent in Muğla, Turkey. However, the sales agreement was made in notary. According to your article, is this agreement invalid? What should I do about it from now on? Best regards.”
Dear Susan, as I mentioned in my previous article, an informal property sales agreement is not valid under Turkish law. Besides, sale agreements made in notary are not completely informal. This document gives you some rights. However, you must register it at the Land Registry Directorate. Because the ownership of a property can only be registered at the Land Registry Directorate, it is the only authority where the title of a property can duly be transferred. It is a basic rule that a property should be registered with the Land Registry Directorate in order to conduct any kind of transaction related to it.
Hurriyet Daily News/18.06.2010
