A vast majority of the Europeans, who were in for purchasing residence in Turkey until ten years ago, have sold their houses and left the country. Iraqis, Iranians, Saudi Arabians and Kuwaitis are surging to fill their places

The demand of foreigners' purchasing property which had been coming from the European countries until ten years ago, is now replaced by the demand from the Middle East countries. While until ten years ago citizens of Ireland, England, the Netherlands, Germany would buy property especially in touristic places, citizens of Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Iran have started to purchase property in the last years.

80 percent of the foreigners who built complexes belonging to themselves in Turkey's resort towns of Kuşadası and Didim have left Turkey after selling their properties.

MOST OF THE RESIDENCES SOLD TO IRAQIS

According to Turkish Statistical Institute (TÜİK), there is a 22.2 percent increase in the residences being purchased by foreigners. TÜİK declared on January 23 that Iraqi citizens are the ones who buy residences most during the same period. As recorded by the statistics, 1078 Afghani people have become residence owners in Turkey last year.

THE MOST PREFERRED CITY IS İSTANBUL

In the sale of residences to foreigners, İstanbul took the top place by 8182 residences and Antalya is in the second place by 4707. Bursa with 1474 sales of residence and Yalova by 1079 sale of residence followed Antalya. Iraqi have purchased 3805 residences in Turkey in 2017, as stated by TÜİK. Iraq is followed by Saudi Arabia by 3345 residences, Kuwait by 1691 residences, Russian Federation by 1331 residences and Afghanistan by 1978 residences.

'TENDENCY TO LEAVE TURKEY'

Müslüm Yıldırım, the head of the Society of Real Estate Agencies in Kuşadası states that Middle Easterner find Turkey safe and adds that ‘formerly, citizens of Ireland, England, the Netherlands and Germany were purchasing residences commonly. They had their own building complexes and even neighbourhoods. Within the last years, there has been a tendency to leave Turkey rapidly.

Several people had intended to make investments, some of them had preferred warmer climates. Now that the trend is over, 80 percent of them have left our country after selling their properties. Only the settled people remained. Arabians are chiefly interested at the moment.

Investment in Turkey among Middle Easterners seems to be in high demand. The demand starting with citizens of Iran is followed by the citizens of Kuwait, Saudi Arabia. People who are not feeling safe in their own countries are seeking for asylum.’ Yıldırım also adds that Russians are after the Middle Easterners.