Gulf Buyers Now Account for a Third of Foreign Property Area in Türkiye

ByMulti Mulk Newsdesk·Published on:26 October 2026·4 min read

Who is buying Turkish property from abroad is shifting. A study by the appraisal firm EVA Gayrimenkul Değerleme, reported by Hürriyet Daily News, found that buyers from Gulf countries made up 33 percent of foreign property purchases in Türkiye, measured by square metres, in the first half of 2026. A year earlier the figure was 15 percent. For investors weighing a purchase, the mix of buyers matters as much as the headline sales total, because it shapes which cities and property types attract demand.

What the EVA study found

The study looked at foreign property acquisitions over two years. According to the Hürriyet Daily News report (published on 23 July 2026), the main figures for January to June 2026 were:

Total foreign acquisitions came to 397,256 square metres, down 8 percent from 431,439 square metres in the same period of 2025.
The number of transactions rose 4 percent year on year to 10,411.
Gulf buyers bought 132,202 square metres across all property types, up 109 percent from 63,196 square metres a year earlier.
The Gulf share of foreign purchases by area therefore rose from 15 percent to 33 percent.

Two details need care. First, the figures are in square metres of all property types, not a count of homes, so they are not directly comparable with TurkStat's monthly house-sales counts. Second, the report is a private valuation firm's analysis, not an official statistic. The report links the shift to the outbreak of war in the Gulf region, which it says reduced overseas home purchases by Turkish citizens while foreign interest in Turkish real estate increased. It does not say how much of the Gulf rise comes from that cause, and we do not either.

The pattern is also one of fewer square metres across more deals. Total area fell while transactions rose, which implies smaller average purchases. The report does not explain why.

Apartment blocks on a cliff-top above the Mediterranean in Antalya — Antalya ranked second among provinces for foreign property transactions in the EVA study. · Photo: Engin_Akyurt / Pixabay

Who ranks where

The EVA study ranked foreign buyers by number of house sales. Russia stayed first, followed by Iran, Germany, Ukraine, Iraq, China, Azerbaijan, Palestine, Afghanistan and the United States. By number of transactions, the leading provinces were Istanbul, then Antalya, Mersin, Ankara, Muğla, İzmir, Bursa, Yalova, Sakarya and Aydın.

The latest monthly data gives a different order. Shafaq News, citing TurkStat, reported that in September 2026 Russians bought 388 homes, Iraqis 166, Germans 162, Iranians 159, Ukrainians 158 and Chinese buyers 124. Home sales to foreigners rose 9.9 percent year on year to 2,167 units, or 1.5 percent of all home sales. We covered that release in our September house sales report.

The two rankings cover different periods, so they do not contradict each other. One month's ranking can move quickly, and a six-month ranking is steadier. Both put Russia first. Neither is a forecast.

Why a nationality shift matters to a buyer

A larger Gulf share does not by itself say anything about prices. TurkStat counts of foreign sales are small next to the national market, at 1.5 percent of September home sales. Still, it is a useful signal in three ways.

Location. The EVA ranking keeps Istanbul and Antalya at the top for foreign transactions. Buyers choosing a district should check local data rather than the national picture. Our look at city price data from the central bank is a starting point.
Resale depth. If you plan to resell, the profile of likely buyers in your area affects how quickly a property can sell. Nobody can promise a resale timeline.
Currency and rates. Many foreign buyers pay in foreign currency, while prices and rents are set in a market with high inflation. Our recent notes on the policy rate cut set out the trade-offs.

A wooden model house, keys and a contract document on a blue surface — Purchase paperwork and due diligence matter whichever nationality is buying. · Photo: OleksandrPidvalnyi / Pixabay

What to do with this

Buyer-mix statistics describe the market. They do not tell an individual what to buy. The practical steps stay the same whatever the headline: check title and permits, confirm the valuation that foreign purchases require, budget for fees, and follow the payment rules that apply from 1 December, which we explain in our contract-steps guide.

Multi Mulk helps clients buy in Türkiye and the UAE through its real estate service, and carries out due diligence and buyer protection checks before a purchase. Buyers who want to look at stock can browse available properties. Where a purchase is meant to support a citizenship application, Multi Mulk also offers a free written eligibility review. Rules and thresholds change often, and the right route depends on your circumstances, so speak to an adviser before committing funds.

The caveats

This is a snapshot from a single private study plus one month of official data. The EVA figures end in June, and the Gulf share could look different in the second half. The September numbers are one month, and the Shafaq report is a secondary source that cites TurkStat. Readers who need exact figures should check the TurkStat release itself.

Sources

Cover photo: Ben_Kerckx on Pixabay.