As part of the new restructuring plan, the government expects to increase the directorate’s authority while reducing its size to some extent. According to a draft recently presented to the Prime Ministry, the directorate will undertake the task to define the unit value of land, used to calculate property taxes. Local administrations are currently responsible for determining this value once every four years. The directorate will also be tasked with valuing real estate and surveying land.
The draft also envisages a reduction in the size of the directorate. Some of the land registry offices in small towns will close, with operations transferred to the nearest office. When deciding to close an office, the directorate will weigh such factors as social and economic development, population growth and the frequency of registry operations in the town.
The restructuring also aims to simplify directorate operations. The state expects to help the General Directorate of Land Registry and Cadastre benefit from the latest in technological advancements. To minimize bureaucracy, the program will allow applicants to use any land registry office in the country to complete their paperwork. In addition to this, Turkish citizens living abroad and nationals of other countries who own land in Turkey will be able to complete all necessary paperwork at the Turkish embassy in their country of residence.
The program also foresees recruiting new personnel. The directorate will hire new land registry experts under a “career specialists” recruitment program, while some of the current personnel may be promoted. New employees will be expected to hold university degrees in their fields. The government will also hire new land registry staff to work in the embassies.
In addition to these technical benefits, the new measures have also been interpreted as an attempt by the government to help the institution recover from its “bad corporate image.”
