According to information published in the authoritative Turkish publication Milliyet, Russian citizens took the first position among the total number of foreigners who bought real estate in Turkey in 2013. Russians purchased more real estate than citizens of Germany and Great Britain, who have traditionally been leaders in this area over the past few years.
The demand for real estate in Turkey experienced a huge increase after the authorities adopted a law in mid-2012 that introduced the principle of reciprocity into real estate transactions and significantly expanded the possibilities for the further use of acquired property. Thus, the new law allowed citizens of foreign countries not only to purchase and sell land plots in Turkey with a total area of up to 30 hectares, but also to erect buildings on them. Also, foreigners who bought a plot, house or apartment in Turkey, according to the provisions of the new law, can apply for a residence permit, and after a certain period, for full citizenship.
In 2013, citizens of the Russian Federation purchased 2 apartments and more than a thousand plots of land in Turkey. Journalists from the Milliyet newspaper deigned to call such demand nothing less than an “attack” by Russians on Turkish real estate. It should be noted that most of the real estate was purchased not on the Mediterranean coast (as many believe), but in the western provinces of Turkey and in some regions of the southeastern and central parts of the country.
