What Does a Field Included in a Zoning Plan Mean?
If you have heard the sentence "my field has been included in the zoning plan", your property may have entered a significant value-appreciation process. In this guide we explain in plain language how a field (tarla) included in a zoning plan turns into a building plot (arsa), the development readjustment share (DOP) deduction, the shared parcel situation, and the steps you need to take.
The Difference Between a Field and a Building Plot
Under Turkish law, real property is registered in the title deed (tapu) with a classification (vasıf). A field is land intended for agricultural production, on which, as a rule, no construction is allowed. A building plot, on the other hand, is a parcel within municipal/adjacent-area boundaries that has been opened to development by a zoning plan. The most critical difference is this: a building plot has a zoning status; in other words, it is established how much construction can be built on it (the floor-area ratio, FAR (KAKS)), how many floors may be built (the maximum building height, Yençok) and for what purpose it will be used (residential, commercial, industrial).
What Is a Zoning Plan, and How Is a Field "Included in Zoning"?
A zoning plan is a scaled, approved official document that determines an area's future development, its roads, green spaces and public facility areas (schools, health, worship, etc.). Your field being "included in zoning" goes through the following stages:
- Master zoning plan: At 1/5000 scale, it sets the general land-use decisions (residential zone, commercial zone, etc.).
- Implementation zoning plan: At 1/1000 scale, it finalizes the development conditions on a block/parcel basis (FAR (KAKS), Yençok, setback distances).
- Public notice (askı) period and finalization: The plan is posted for public notice for one month, objections are evaluated, and the plan becomes final.
- Zoning implementation (Article 18): Large tracts classified as fields are divided into the parcels envisaged by the plan; roads and public facility areas are set aside. At the end of this process, your title deed classification changes from field to building plot.
In other words, merely falling within the plan boundary is not enough; for the land to become a building plot, the land readjustment process (Article 18, Zoning Law No. 3194) must be completed.
DOP (Development Readjustment Share): The 45% Deduction
This is the most surprising part of the zoning implementation (land readjustment). The cost of public areas such as roads, squares, parks, playgrounds, green spaces, places of worship and education/health facilities is deducted, in the form of land, from the owners in that area. This deduction is called the development readjustment share (DOP), and under Zoning Law No. 3194 its maximum rate is 45%.
Deduction: 2,000 × 0.40 = 800 m² goes to the public.
The DOP deduction is made only once; DOP cannot be taken from the same parcel a second time. No compensation is paid for the DOP, because these areas are set aside for the infrastructure/facilities that increase the value of your parcel.
The Shared Parcel Situation
After the Article 18 implementation, the location of your old field may end up as a share in a new zoning block. In other words, your title deed may now read "X/Y share in such-and-such parcel of such-and-such block", and there may be other owners in the same parcel. In a shared parcel:
- Obtaining a building permit on your own becomes harder; the consent of all co-owners is generally required.
- You can sell, but the buyer likewise only acquires a share (its location is not marked on the ground).
- If you want an independent parcel, you proceed by subdivision (ifraz) or, if the co-owners cannot agree, by dissolution of co-ownership (izale-i şuyu).
What Should I Do If My Field Has Been Included in a Zoning Plan?
- Find out the current zoning status: Using your block/parcel number, check which use (residential/commercial) and which FAR (KAKS) and Yençok values the plan grants you.
- Check whether Article 18 has been carried out: If your title deed classification is still "field", the implementation may not yet be complete.
- Calculate the DOP deduction: Do not make valuations/projections without knowing your net plot area.
- Clarify your share status: Independent or shared? Determine your sale/construction strategy accordingly.
- Calculate your development rights: Find out how much construction area you can obtain with FAR (KAKS) and Yençok.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does a field included in a zoning plan mean?
It means that a property that was agricultural land (classified as a field) has been brought within the scope of an approved zoning plan. After the plan becomes final and the Article 18 implementation is carried out, the field is converted into the "building plot" classification, on which construction is permitted.
Does a field's value increase when it is included in a zoning plan?
It usually does; when residential/commercial development rights (FAR (KAKS), Yençok) are granted, the plot's value rises above the field's value. However, due to the DOP (up to 45%), your net area decreases.
My field included in the zoning plan became a shared parcel — what should I do?
To build or to create an independent parcel, you can reach an agreement with the co-owners and carry out a subdivision (ifraz)/voluntary partition; if no agreement is reached, you can file a dissolution of co-ownership (izale-i şuyu) case.
How do I find out whether my field has been included in a zoning plan?
With your block/parcel number you can obtain a zoning status certificate from the zoning directorate, check the plan status via e-İmar, or use e-yenişehir to view your parcel's current land-use decision and its FAR (KAKS) and Yençok values.