Many people looking to purchase property across Turkey may be unaware that the nation is located on the San Andreas fault of the east. This means that the capital, Istanbul, lies on one of the most restless fault lines in the world. Following the devastation of the 1999 Marmara and Duzce earthquakes the Turkish Catastrophe Insurance Pool (TCIP) was introduced which made having insurance for the disaster compulsory for anyone owning property.

Under the country's DASK Insurance scheme, any new developments that fail to pass a minimum standards test will not be granted certificates and experts have advised that properties built before 2007 should undergo extra checks.

Loxley McKenzie, managing director of property investment company Colordarcy said: "It is important to get the right cover for Istanbul property investments before the worst happens, such as your property turning into a pile of rubble and the owners losing all the money that was invested.

"Checks should be made to make sure a building complies with earthquake safety rules. The seller should also be in a position to provide a Use of Building Permit or a Habitation Certificate."

For your property to be passed for DASK insurance, all buildings assembled after 2007 must be built according to TSE standards which are similar to the UK British Standards or other similar codes of practice. In addition, it is necessary to have a minimum of five years structural guarantee similar to the UK NHBC scheme.

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TURKEY: Earthquake insurance a must in Turkey