Fanar Realty | Foreign nationalities prohibited from owning property in Turkey

Did you ever wonder about Nationalities prohibited from owning property in Turkey?

well, Although Turkish law is one of the best laws around the world regarding foreign ownership on Turkish lands, where laws, and government amendments encourage foreign investment in Turkey, there are always red lines, and here we will talk about foreign nationalities that Turkish law does not allow them to buy a property on Turkish lands, and this issue is one of the red lines that sometimes hinder the ownership of the real estate. Let us look at who is hindered by real estate ownership in Turkey because of this red line.

Real Estate Ownership in Turkey and The Principle Of Reciprocity

Previously, Turkey prevented citizens of foreign nationalities from owning real estate if their country deprived the Turks of this right as well, and this was known as the "principle of reciprocity", but after 2012 Turkey decided to cancel the principle of reciprocity and allowed all foreign nationalities to own real estate on its lands, whit exception of five foreign nationalities remained prohibited from owning real estate in Turkey, for various reasons.

We will detail the names of these nationalities and the reasons why Turkey continues to prevent them from owning real estate on its lands despite a clear decision to cancel the principle of reciprocity regarding real estate ownership in Turkey.

Read: Conditions for granting Turkish citizenship

What Nationalities Are Prohibited from Owning Real Estate in Turkey?

According to Turkish laws, foreigners residing in Turkey are allowed to own real estate, but this permission does not include some foreign nationalities, unfortunately, and their citizens are considered prohibited from owning real estate in Turkey. They are:

Syrian citizenship
Armenian citizenship
Cypriot citizenship
North Korean citizenship
Cuban citizenship

Exceptions are:

Those with Turkish citizenship who are citizens of the previous countries
Holders of second citizenship whose citizens are allowed to own real estate in Turkey
Citizens of Northern Cyprus.

There are foreign nationals who are prohibited from owning real estate in Turkey - Why?

Why are Syrians prevented from owning real estate in Turkey?

For the Syrians, the reason for preventing them from owning real estate in Turkey dates back to a referendum in 1939 in the state of Hatay, where the state was removed from the French mandate authority and annexed to the territory of the Turkish Republic. This was followed by strict measures by the French mandate government in Syria and the confiscation of Turkish property in Syria.
This matter still constitutes a point of difference between Syria and Turkey since that date, which loosened its ties to the real estate ownership law in Turkey and impeded the ban lifting on Syrians.
However, there are unremitting efforts by Turkish and Arab real estate consultants to persuade the Turkish government to reverse the ban on Syrians from owning real estate in Turkey, and positive progress is expected in this direction later.
Recently the number of Syrians in Turkey has increased significantly since 2011, and they have become an important weight in the Turkish economy and the labor market, as well as if they are benefited from in the real estate sector in Turkey, will certainly make a big difference.
It is expected that the decision to allow Syrians to own real estate in Turkey will see the light of day soon.

Why Are Armenians Prevented from Owning Real Estate In Turkey?

The historical relations between Turkey and Armenia and the mutual accusations between them about the period of war between the Armenians and the Turks prior to the First World War also affected.

and this issue is still one of the biggest cases that touch national security, therefore the ban on the Armenians continued and it is not expected to be canceled in the near future, due to the sensitivity of the dispute between the two countries.

Why Are the Cypriots Prevented From Owning Real Estate In Turkey?

The real dispute between Turkey and Cyprus is a dispute over the rights of the Turkish Cypriots, whose state Turkey recognizes as “Northern Cyprus” or what is known as “Turkish Cyprus”. The origins of this dispute date back to 1925,

but it exploded dramatically in 1974 when the Turkish army entered Northern Cyprus to protect the rights of the Turkish Cypriots, and since that time the crisis has remained unchanged between the two countries.

and the embargo is expected to be canceled if an agreement is reached between the Greek and Turkish parts of Cyprus, or if the diplomatic crisis between the two countries ends.

Reasons For Preventing Other Nationalities

For Cuba and North Korea, preventing their citizens from owning real estate in Turkey is due to reasons related to the imposition of international sanctions on these two countries, and Turkey's commitment to this

Are There Ways to Allow foreign nationalities prohibited from owning real estate in Turkey to own?

Real Estate Ownership for Syrians in Turkey

There are some ways to bypass the ban on real estate ownership by some foreign nationalities in Turkey, such as the Syrians, but the property owner does not obtain the full rights enjoyed by real estate owners in general.

Among these methods are:

Establishing a company in Turkey:

Establishing a company allows you to buy real estate in Turkey in the name of the company that you established, and you have the right to use, invest and sell it later as the representative of the company in front of the Turkish state. But the buyer in this case does not obtain real estate residence in Turkey and he cannot apply for citizenship through Real estate investment in Turkey, even if the price of the real estate he bought in the name of his company exceeds the limit of 250 thousand US dollars.

Purchase of Real Estate by Foreigners

Is It Possible to Cancel on Real Estate Owning Embargo in Turkey?

As we mentioned in an earlier paragraph, every prohibition has a special reason, and every country has different circumstances in its relationship with Turkey, but as an expectation and from the course of what we see, the most fortunate nationality in the possibility of canceling the ban imposed of owning real estate in Turkey is the Syrian.

The most unfortunate of these countries in this aspect is Armenia, and in general, the rest of the countries remain linked to the nature of the reason that pushes Turkey to prevent its citizens from owning real estate in it.

Turkey's Real Estate Attracts Thousands of Foreigners Annually

Real estate in Turkey today has become one of the most important investment destinations for foreign nationalities in Turkey, and the number of foreigners who bought real estate in Turkey in the past year 2019 exceeded 45 thousand properties.

Last year, Turkey granted citizenship to more than 9000 foreigners They bought real estate in Turkey whose price exceeded the limit of 250 thousand US dollars. Therefore, we can say that this country is considered one of the most attractive countries for those wishing to live or invest in real estate, and for those who dream of obtaining an ideal real estate buying experience outside their country, and for those looking for a safe portfolio for their money and investments.

Read: Buying an Apartment In Istanbul

Can Turkey Prevent Other Nationalities of Real Estate Ownership?

It is theoretically possible, but it is rare and may not happen. As we cannot link small problems or even diplomatic crises that may occur between your home country and Turkey with real estate ownership in Turkey, because it will certainly remain available to you.

The crises between Turkey and any other country may cause a reluctance or a decline in the proportion of real estate buyers from this or that country, but Turkish law does not prevent them from buying a property in Turkey as long as it operates according to “Cancellation.” The principle of reciprocity” as long as the crisis between Turkey and your home country does not affect Turkish national security.

Turkey may also take steps similar to what it took against the Cubans and North Koreans when it prevented them from owning real estate on its lands by virtue of the international sanctions imposed on their countries, as well as if international sanctions were imposed Strict, issued by the United Nations against any other country, Turkey may start implementing the ban on real estate ownership against it.

In this article, Fanar Realty informed you about one of the most important topics concerning who wants to buy a property in Turkey may ask about, which is the nationalities that are prohibited from owning real estate in Turkey. In this article, we have spared the reader the difficulty of searching for the topic anywhere else, because we have talked in detail and illustratively about each of the detail of the topic.

Fanar Realty will remain for you a beacon that will illuminate your investment path in Turkey, to help and support choose your real estate in this distinguished country.