Solicitors and/or estate agents?

[kentish maid]

We are thinking of buying an apartment in Fethiye directly from a British owner in GBP and trying to get our head round who to instruct for conveyancing.  If the agreement is between the seller and buyer direct, ie the property was never placed on the open market for sale, what is the legal procedure? Who does the legal work - is it an agent and/or a notary, and do we really have to use a Solicitor? The CBF seems to suggest that a good agent does all the necessary work without having to separately instruct a Solicitor, but would this still be the case if the sale and purchase was never actually brokered by that agent?
Can the buyer and seller use the same agent, even though the property was never advertised by that agent?
Also, are military searches still required for a mature property and how long and expensive is this?
Finally, if an agent does do the conveyancing work, is this where the 3% figure is paid - and does this mean 3% of the Tapu value, or 3% of the purchase price?
Thank you for any advice you helpful CBF folk.

[Scunner]

To be honest a solicitor would be best - there are several topics with recommendations. An agent would jump at the chance to do the work for 3% of the (sale) price - easy work having a buyer and seller dropped into your lap without having to do a thing  

Also 3% will normally be way more than a solicitor's conveyancing fee too - and with the exception of a few (like Cenk) they don't do the checks you would expect them to. Agents often don't check for outstanding debts on a property for example. You need to know about these, because one day they could all be yours.

I recommend Ozlen because she is quietly efficient and effective - a lot of experience in house purchasing/selling. Other than her Sule but she is more for situations when you need a rottweiller   (that's a compliment by the way Sule )

The situation regarding military searches changed not so long back - now if another property on the same development has received clearance, you need not apply to the long winded process. If yours is the fist since the change in law, I think about 10 weeks is about right now.

[Libra]

This is the website of Sule Beder mentioned above , if you decide to contact her :

http://www.sulebeder.av.tr/

[kentish maid]

Thank you Scunner (& Libra) for your prompt and helpful replies.
Approx when did the military searches change of law come into force - was it in 2013 or 2014? One apartment on the complex completed in February this year. If this is within the new ruling, does their military search cover future ones on the same complex? Can we clarify one more thing please, as a buyer if we instruct a solicitor (Ozlen for example) and pay her fee, is there also a purchase tax due like the UK Stamp Duty? Sorry to be so vague.

[Scunner]

It was before February so the last one sold should mean you don't need to wait.

Regarding taxes, yes - now 4% of purchase price (declared) and usually split 2%/2% buyer/seller.