North Cyprus Glossary: Immigration and University Terms

North Cyprus paperwork runs on a set of Turkish terms that don't have a direct one-word English equivalent, or where the Turkish term is what you'll actually see on forms and office signs. Each entry below is drawn from a guide on this site — follow the link for the full context. Amounts, fees and time limits are not repeated here since they change.

Allocation (Tahsis) Title Deed

TR: Tahsis koçanı. One of the three title deed types used in North Cyprus. There is no title-deed category called "Allocation deed" in Law 41/1977 itself; what the market calls by this name rests on a four-layer legal basis instead: Constitution Article 159(1)(b/c) (ownership of Greek Cypriot property passed to the State after 1974), Law 41/1977 (the implementing framework), registration under Cap. 224 Articles 11-12, and Law 67/2005 (the ECHR-driven law that treats an allocated/equivalent deed as a valid ownership document and channels the former owner toward compensation rather than restitution). In practice this is often only an Allocation Certificate (Article 37) — a use right, with ownership staying with the State — not the full-ownership Equivalent Property Certificate (Articles 80-81). Verify which one applies with the Department of Lands and Surveys or a lawyer before any transaction. See Turkish, Equivalent, and Allocation Title Deeds Compared.

Denklik (Recognition / Equivalence)

TR: denklik. The separate process, run through Turkey's Council of Higher Education (YÖK), for making a North Cyprus university degree usable in Turkey. It is independent of YÖDAK accreditation: YÖDAK approval means a degree is recognised inside North Cyprus, while denklik is a further application you file if you plan to use the degree in Turkey. See YÖDAK Accreditation and Recognition.

Destekleyici (Sponsor)

TR: destekleyici. The person a family residence permit application is built around: someone who takes on the costs of a foreign relative coming to North Cyprus for family reunification. TRNC citizens, and holders of a residence permit, permanent residence permit, business-establishment permit or student residence permit, can act as sponsor, along with work-permit holders who meet certain conditions. See Residence Permit Types and Income Thresholds.

Equivalent (Eşdeğer) Title Deed

TR: Eşdeğer koçan. A title deed category issued through the Determination, Evaluation and Compensation Commissions process under Law 41/1977 (the Settlement, Land Distribution and Equivalent Property Law), run by boards under the Ministry of the Interior; it stands in place of a title deed under Cap. 224 once issued (Articles 80-81). The full process, end to end, typically runs about 18-36 months: determination (the commission fixing ownership, share and value) ~6-12 months, claim (filing with the Settlement and Rehabilitation Department, plus a military/overlap check) ~4-8 months, and allocation-and-registration at the district Land Registry ~8-16 months. Not to be confused with TAMK (see Immovable Property Commission): issuance of an Equivalent deed runs under the 1977 regulation, while a claim to TAMK runs under the separate Law 67/2005. See Turkish, Equivalent, and Allocation Title Deeds Compared.

Family Residence Permit (Aile İkamet İzni)

TR: aile ikamet izni. A residence permit route that runs through a sponsor (see destekleyici) rather than the applicant's own income or property. It covers the sponsor's spouse and, depending on age and circumstances, children or parents. If the sponsor's own permit is cancelled, the family permit falls with it. See Residence Permit Types and Income Thresholds.

Green Line

Not a Turkish-origin term. The framework, based on EU Council Regulation (EC) No 866/2004 (the "Green Line Regulation"), that governs the movement of people and goods across the ceasefire line that has been in place since 1974. Official sources name the two sides of the line differently; this site uses geography-neutral language and does not take a position on naming. See Crossing South: Checkpoints, Documents and Vehicle Insurance.

Immigration Department (Muhaceret Dairesi)

TR: Muhaceret Dairesi. The department under the Ministry of Interior that handles residence permit applications. Applications are filed with the Immigration branch of the District Police Directorate covering your residence address. See Moving to North Cyprus: Permits, Housing and the First Months.

Immovable Property Commission (IPC / TAMK)

TR: TAMK (Taşınmaz Mal Komisyonu). A quasi-judicial body set up under Law 67/2005, established after the ECHR's Xenides-Arestis ruling. It is not part of title deed issuance: it lets people who lost property in the south before 1974 claim restitution, compensation, or exchange for immovables in North Cyprus — a separate matter from how an Equivalent or Allocation deed is issued. The application deadline is 21 December 2027, extended under Amendment Law 51/2025 to the root Law 67/2005; the date is a symbolic fixed reference (1963) rather than a hard cutoff, and it may be extended again. See Turkish, Equivalent, and Allocation Title Deeds Compared.

KTEB

TR: KTEB (Kıbrıs Türk Eczacılar Birliği). The Cyprus Turkish Pharmacists' Association, which publishes the on-duty (nöbetçi) pharmacy for each region for out-of-hours and public-holiday coverage. See Healthcare for Students.

Permanent Residence Permit (Daimi İkamet İzni)

TR: daimi ikamet izni. Unlike time-limited residence permits, this status counts as residence status on its own for as long as it is valid, so the holder does not separately need a residence permit. See Residence Permit Types and Income Thresholds.

Provident Fund (İhtiyat Sandığı)

TR: ihtiyat sandığı. One of the institutions a student work permit application needs paperwork from — alongside Social Security and the Tax Office — to show the workplace and the worker have no outstanding debt. See Work Rules for Students.

Residence Permit (İkamet İzni)

TR: ikamet izni. The document required for any foreign national staying longer than their visa or visa exemption allows, or longer than ninety days, unless they already hold another form of legal status. It comes in several types — short-term, family, student — each with its own conditions and, in some cases, income thresholds tied to the minimum wage. See Residence Permit Types and Income Thresholds.

Title Deed (Koçan)

TR: koçan. The document proving ownership of a property. For the property-owner route to a residence permit, the title deed generally needs to be in the applicant's name; if a property's title deed is split into multiple shares and one shareholder already holds a permit on that basis, another shareholder cannot get a separate permit for the same property. Title deed transactions go through the Department of Lands and Surveys. See Residence Permit Types and Income Thresholds and Moving to North Cyprus.

Vehicle Age Limitation Regulation (MTAYST)

TR: MTAYST (Motorlu Taşıt Araçları Yaş Sınırlandırılması Tüzüğü). Issued under the Foreign Trade (Regulation and Supervision) Law, this regulation sets a maximum age (varying by vehicle category) and a right-hand-drive requirement for vehicles imported into North Cyprus. It also defines a narrow "settler" exemption (article 6) for people relocating to North Cyprus. See Importing a Car vs. Buying Locally.

Work Permit (Çalışma İzni)

TR: çalışma izni. Authorization for a foreign national to work at a specific workplace and in a specific occupation, obtained through the employer, who must first secure a preliminary permit. A valid work permit counts as residence status on its own; it does not carry over if you switch employers. See Moving to North Cyprus: Permits, Housing and the First Months.

YÖDAK

TR: YÖDAK (Yükseköğretim Planlama, Denetleme, Akreditasyon ve Koordinasyon Kurulu). The Higher Education Planning, Evaluation, Accreditation and Coordination Council — the official body responsible for planning, oversight and accreditation of higher education institutions in North Cyprus. Whether a university is recognised inside North Cyprus is checked against YÖDAK's official list; that approval does not by itself mean the degree is recognised in another country (see denklik). See YÖDAK Accreditation and Recognition.