An Assessment of Housing Sales to Foreigners in Turkey in Recent Years

Amid the accelerating process of globalization, international mobility has significantly increased, prompting a notable surge in foreign demand within housing markets. Turkey has recently become a prominent destination for foreign investors, particularly attracting demand from neighboring regions. However, the rise in foreign property ownership has contributed to escalating housing prices and rents, while also generating notable social and spatial transformations in certain urban areas. These developments underline the necessity of considering the social dimensions of urban space and emphasize the evolving role of urban planners in managing heterogeneous urban populations. This study examines housing sales to foreigners in Turkey. The data for the study was obtained from the Turkish Statistical Institute. It is seen that housing sales to foreigners increased significantly until 2022, reached the highest value in 2022 and then started to decline. Istanbul and Antalya stand out as the primary cities where foreign nationals have acquired the highest number of residential properties. When the ratio of property sales to foreigners to total property sales is examined, Antalya stands out with significantly higher rates compared to other provinces. In this context, another notable city that emerges unexpectedly is Mersin. As a neighboring city to Antalya, Mersin experienced a substantial increase in property sales to foreigners, especially in 2022. Among the nationalities, Iraq, Russia, and Iran are the leading countries in terms of the number of properties purchased by foreigners in Turkey. Since 2022, Russia has become the leading country in property acquisitions in Turkey, recording figures far above those of other countries. On the other hand, despite the large number of Syrians residing in Turkey, they do not rank highly in property ownership statistics. This suggests that the majority of Syrians may lack the financial means necessary to acquire property. Considering the multidimensional impacts of foreign property ownership on Turkey’s housing market and urban dynamics, a more holistic urban planning approach must be adopted. In addition, planning processes should be restructured to incorporate social, economic, and cultural dimensions, aiming to create inclusive and resilient urban environments in response to increasing international mobility.