Turkey has been experiencing rapid urbanization and urban expansion since the 1950s. With the processes of decentralization, the city is increasingly being brought into rural areas, building pressure is increasing, agricultural production and natural resources are being destroyed, and rural areas are increasingly fitted with urban uses (shopping, tourism, leisure activities, etc.). Rural areas in close proximity to urban areas are more vulnerable to development pressures and are at risk of being abolished or abandoned. On the other hand, with the enactment of the new regulations Transfer of Development Rights is entered Turkish Planning System as a new and innovative solutions. However, there has been any available application of the TDR yet. The study’s objective is to assess the TDR's effectiveness as a tool for protecting agricultural land on the periphery of Izmir's large metropolitan area. Izmir's Torbalı district was chosen as a case study regarding intensive agricultural activity. A bundle of techniques is used including a large survey analysis of the area. A hypothetical mathematical model was applied for assessing and transferring the market-base value for the agricultural land. First, we carried out a series of analyses to determine the implications and repercussions of Turkish planning on agricultural land protection and how to define urban growth boundaries for farmland protection. Then, using the hypothetical TDR model, we calculated the value discrepancies between urban and rural areas in the study area, Torbalı-Muratbey location. Finally, we reviewed and discussed the challenges concerning TDRs, as well as their applicability and potential in the Turkish Planning System.