Natalie The property market of Turkey is celebrating recent news that in some areas, the government has removed the compulsory military search that most foreign buyers had to complete.
By doing so, a foreign property buyer can now receive their title deeds on the same day as purchasing, a positive aspect of the process previously restricted to Turkish citizens only.
For many years, foreign nationals can legally purchase immovable property in Turkey for use as a workplace or home, as long as they do not exceed 30 hectares.
Attracting many nationalities because of cheap prices, foreigners had to obtain permission from the military authorities in the region before their immovable acquisition. Waits of up to 3 months however delayed the process that industry experts claimed was unnecessary in many cases.
The law was amended a few years ago, in which the emphasis of the search was shifted from the buyer to the property, so if the home or workplace had previously been subjected to a search, there was no need to repeat the process.
The law has now been amended again to totally remove the process in various districts around Turkey. Especially noted was the removal in the Aydin province which covers Kusadasi, and Altinkum, both of which are popular with foreign property buyers mainly British.
The only exception to this case is the Dilek peninsula, in which property purchases are illegal because of its protected status as well as close distance to the Greek island of Samos.
Mugla is expected to follow suit
Industry experts are also eagerly anticipating the removal of the military search for the Mugla region which is likewise, an attractive destination for foreign buyers who seek to buy property in Bodrum, Marmaris, and Fethiye.
Deniz Demir, a member of the Didim Chamber of Commerce, welcomed the news, especially since Didim is a famous expat town, with many British people residing there all year round. With many receiving UK pensions, the expat community contributes heavily towards the local economy.
He also hoped the move would help towards restoring Turkey’s reputation, after legal loopholes in the law during the last decade, meant some buyers did not receive their title deeds.
The Turkish government has implemented many processes to welcome foreign property buyers to Turkey including vat and citizenships incentives, and many future customers will benefit from this latest move as well.
Read more about the VAT exemption for foreigners here.
Read more about the citizenship incentives here.
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