Confidence also derives from the limited restrictions foreign
buyers will be facing under the newly adopted legislation. While land purchases
cannot initially exceed 2.5 ha – equivalent to the size of five football fields
- acquisitions can in fact be increased to 30 ha, subject to authorisation by
the Council of Ministers. However, there are still some restrictions, with
limitations on the sale of properties deemed to be strategically important or
sensitive for the state.

“We see restrictions in certain areas, including
agriculture, energy, mines, protected habitats and military strategic
locations,” said Kerem Tezcan, a market analyst at the financial services firm
Raymond James.

There is some room for interpretation however as to what
is considered as strategic property for Turkey. Apart from the clear cut case of
Turkey’s military zones, the assessment as to whether a property qualifies as a
nationally sensitive area, and thus subject to restrictions, is left to the
cabinet.

Other conditions under the new law have also drawn attention. To
alleviate concerns over the potential for large portions of Turkish land falling
into foreign hands, the area of properties sold to outsiders cannot exceed 5% of
the territory of any of Turkey’s 81 provinces. This restriction is to be
monitored by the cabinet. In addition, the purchase of land by foreigners will
be subject to the principle of reciprocity. As such, property inherited by
citizens of countries that do not have a reciprocal agreement with Turkey will
have their properties sold and the heirs handed the proceedings.

Rather
inevitably, members of Turkey’s political opposition responded negatively to the
legislation when it was adopted at the end of December, amidst a welter of
claims the government was paving the way for the selling off of the country to
foreigners. The main objection raised was that the articles of the bill approved
by the Justice and Development Party (AKP) dominated parliament differed only
slightly from a previous bill rejected by the Constitutional Court earlier in
2005.

Concerns regarding the size of future acquisitions by foreigners
have been voiced in spite of the restrictions put in place by the
government.

“You [the AKP government] say foreigners will purchase shops
and homes, but then give the cabinet the right to buy pieces of property as
large as 30 ha,” CHP parliamentary deputy Tekirdag Saygun said during the debate
on the legislation.

The question being asked by would-be investors is
whether the new legislation is likely to be changed or amended against the
interests of foreign real estate seekers in the near to medium term.

“As
far as opposition from the CHP is concerned, we have seen the end of the story,”
says Tezcan. ” I do not expect to see any cancellation. There is not much the
opposition can do anymore.”

All this implies that Turkey’s coastal
resorts can expect to see some familiar faces every summer, with the British,
Germans, Greeks and Dutch particularly tempted by Turkish real estate along the
coast. Now, Europe’s sun worshipers can secure their very own place under
Turkey’s rays, but at the cost of property prices bearing the brunt of
international demand.

host at least 8 million tourists this year and is already home
to 13,000 foreigners.

Knut Alfei – Nie Chang Qing

Why? Residents and visitors
alike cite its climate, the beautiful natural environment close to the city and
the hospitable nature of its Turkish population.

The number of foreign residents in Antalya has reached
13,225, with Germans making up the biggest portion of this group. Some 2,745
Germans live in Antalya and its towns according to police office resources. The
most popular district is within Antalya is Alanya. “I bought a house in Oba [in
Alanya] six years ago and I am very satisfied with my life here,” said
59-year-old German Günter Wojeiechowski. “Alanya is a beautiful place; the sun
is out more than 300 days a year. There is both the sea and the mountains, and I
swim and sunbathe here freely. We have friendly chats with people and visit our
Turkish neighbors. I adore the Turkish culture,” said Wojeiechowski, adding that
life in Alanya is very different to life in Antalya.

Wojeiechowski’s neighbor Dörte Schumacher, who settled
in Alanya seven years ago, said what he likes most about Alanya is the Turkish
culture and the friendliness of its people. “I admire Turkish culture. The
Turkish come and ask, ‘How do you do?’ Germans do not have such good manners. We
feel pretty good here. Life is easygoing and comfortable. There is not much
stress,” continued Schumacher. He further noted that he spends his days
swimming, wandering around and relaxing. The neighbors both feel so connected to
the area that they want to be buried there.

Fifty-four-year-old German Mathias Goldstein, who settled in Alanya in 2003 originally planning just to rest, later decided to go into business. Goldstein said that he has been performing jobs like making garage doors and installing heating and cooling systems in Alanya for the past three years. Like may locals, he too has profited from increased foreign interest in real estate in the area and the resultant development. Goldstein, who emphasized that they are pretty content living in Alanya as a family, said that he has improved his Turkish in a short time. “I want to spend the remainder of my life in Alanya and to be buried here,” he noted, adding that the warm relationships he has with people in Alanya are a key aspect of his love for the city. He noted that his children spend their holidays in Alanya. His wife Ines Goldstein also said she was in love with Alanya. Ines, who works with her husband in their business, said that they have formed many friendships in Alanya and that she knows and greets most of the people she sees on the street. Ines said that the warmth of the Turkish people was the most significant factor in attracting them to the city. “Most of the foreigners do not need to learn Turkish since most of the Turkish people here know either English or German, but it shouldn’t be like this. It is necessary to learn the language,” said Ines. She also noted that both she and her husband have learned Turkish out of respect for the Turkish people and their culture. Ines stressed that they came here not to earn money but to live. ‘I’m here for the sake of my friends’ Alanya is home to people from nations other than just Germany. Norwegian Knut Alfei, an estate agent in Kaleiçi, said that he first visited Turkey’s beaches in 1996 and later decided to settle down in Alanya. “Originally I settled in Turkey because of the hot weather. Then I made friends here. They tied me to the place. Now I am here not for the weather but for my friends. I have been married to a Turkish woman for four-and-a-half years, and I want to spend the rest of my life here,” said Alfei, declaring that he adores Turkish people. www.zaman.com

]]> http://www.mulkasgroup.com/foreigners-flock-to-antalya-for-tourism-and-residence/feed/ 0 http://www.mulkasgroup.com/property-sales-to-foreigners-boom-set-to-continue/ http://www.mulkasgroup.com/property-sales-to-foreigners-boom-set-to-continue/#comments Wed, 02 Jan 2008 21:24:12 +0000 admin http://www.mulkasgroup.com/property-sales-to-foreigners-boom-set-to-continue/ Property sales to foreigners, which have been consistently picking up speed
since a law was enacted in 2005 to facilitate such sales, grew by 17 percent
this year.

Economist Mustafa Sönmez, speaking to Today’s Zaman, noted
that the revenue earned through foreigners investing in Turkish real estate
exceeded $1.5 billion in the first five months of 2007. Highlighting that sales
hit their peak in January, totaling $362 million for the first month alone,
Sönmez stated that the market had grown by 17 percent compared to figures for
the same period last year.

He also added that sales might increase after
the relief shown in the stock market following the results of the July 22
election. Noting that property sales first increased when legal regulations were
implemented in 2005, Sönmez said 70 percent of all the property sales to
foreigners in 2005 were in July alone, with the annual revenue hitting $1.84
billion that year. The annual revenue for last year was $2.92 billion. He
commented that the market shows no signs of slowing down, saying, “If
performance continues at this pace, revenue will have reached $3.5 to $3.7
billion by the end of this year.”

Storbyen Alanya har vært blant nordmenns favorittreisemål i årevis. Her kombinerer du livlig byliv med late dager på stranden. Det finnes et rikt tilbud av restauranter og uteliv. Den østre stranden er bred og vidstrakt. Kleopatrastranden i vest er den mest kjente, med sin lyse finkornede sand og herlige stemning. Strandklubbene er populære vannhull når varmen er på sitt mest intense.
Midt mellom de to lange strendene strekker en klippe seg ut i havet. Middelalderborgen på toppen er et populært utsiktspunkt der du kan se hele byen. Nedenfor ligger gamlebyen, sentrum og marinaen. Herfra går de populære badebåtene. Festglad ungdom og andre utelivsglade strømmer hit på kvelds- og nattetid. Det finnes utallige restauranter, samt et stort utvalg av barer og diskotek som holder åpent ut i de små timer. I basarområdet kan du prute deg til gode priser på såvel gull og skinn som håndverk og moteklær. Fredagsmarkedet er en fargerik opplevelse med sine bugnende frukt- og grønnsaksboder.
Alanya er en herlig blanding av byliv og turisme. Du skal ikke gå langt fra hotellet før du er midt i det lokale livet i en moderne tyrkisk by.
Prisene er oppgitt som voksen/barn i NOK

Manavgat
Følg med på elveturen som byr på vaker natur, sol og bading en hel dag. Lunch ombord inngår. Ca pris 295,-/145,-
Båttur
Vi seiler rundt Alanyas klippe og langs kysten for å nyte solen til havs.
Man sier at 1 dag til havs er like mye verdt 3 dagar på stranden så glem ikke solkremen.
Spesialpris i enkelte perioder er ca 120/60
Tyrkisk aften
Stemningsfull helaften med underholdning, folkedans, magedans og middag med tradisjonelle tyrkiske retter. Ca pris 295,-/145,-
Hamam
Unn deg luxen å bli renskrubbet og innsåpet. Det hela avsluttes med en deilig olivoljemassage.

Jeepsafari
Vi reiser opp ti Taurusfjellene med jeep. En dag fylt med fart og eventyr. Ca pris 340,-/170,-

Rafting
Hold deg fast – dette er en elvetur utenom det vanlige 346,-/175,-

Delfinshow
Se et fartsfyldt definshow på delfinariet som ligger en liten bit utenfor Alanya. Ca pris 250,-/125,-
Gazipasa “en urørt perle i øst”
Se byen Gazipasa ca 45 km øst for Alanya. Byen minner om Alanya for 20 år siden. Vi besøker det lokale markede, en familie og en moske. Ca pris 200,-/100,-
Dykking
For deg som ikke har sertifikat, men vil prøvedykke med tube. 565,-
Alanya City Tour
Mot kvellstid begir vi oss opp til borgen og nyter av den vakre utsikten. Vi spiser en god middag og begir oss siden ut i Alanyas jungel av butikker. Ca pris 135,-/70,-

Foreign
investors choose Turkey as one of the best countries to invest in because of its
potential to gain value. Foreigners invested $6.2 billion within the last year
in real estate in Turkey, and around $3.1 billion of this was spent on houses
and summer houses.
Speaking to Today’s Zaman, Yatırım Group General Manager
Yusuf Gülpınar said European companies in particular are focused on real estate
investments in Turkey. “European investment firms, mainly from Austria, England,
Holland and Belgium, have made huge real estate purchases,” he
said.

There were 20 big deals on real estate in the last year alone. One
of the world’s largest investment funds, the US-based NCH New Europe Property,
makes it procurements through Atakule Real Estate Investment Partnership (GYO),
Alarko GYO and Yapı Kredi Koray GYO. Swiss-based East Capital Asset Management
works with Vakıf GYO, and Universal Overseas Management is the largest share
owner of Nurol GYO in the stock market.

Foreign companies invest in
promising fields such as business centers, residences and malls, which yield
high rent returns in cities like İstanbul, İzmir and Antalya, and country houses
on the Aegean and Mediterranean coasts. Real estate specialist Serkan Demir said
foreigners spent $6 billion last year on real estate and that this would
increase in coming years.

Other groups that have increased their number
of real estate investment are Kazakh and Arab investors, whose coffers have
grown due to increasing oil and gas prices.