Following the outbreak of war in the Gulf region, overseas home purchases by Turkish citizens have declined, while foreign interest in Turkish real estate has increased, according to a study by real estate appraisal company, EVA Gayrimenkul Değerleme.
The report highlights a notable rise in the share of Gulf countries in property purchases by foreign investors in Türkiye.
The study, which examined real estate investments made by foreign investors in Türkiye over the past two years, found that total foreign property acquisitions measured 397,256 square meters in the first six months of 2026, down 8 percent from 431,439 square meters recorded during the same period of 2025.
Despite the decline in total acquired area, the number of transactions increased by 4 percent year-on-year to 10,411 deals.
Gulf countries, which account for a significant portion of foreign real estate investments in Türkiye, recorded a sharp increase in purchases. Purchases by buyers from Gulf nations across all types of real estate totaled 132,202 square meters in the first half of 2026, up 109 percent from 63,196 square meters in the same period a year earlier.
As a result, the share of Gulf countries in total foreign real estate investments, measured by square meters purchased, rose from 15 percent in the first half of 2025 to 33 percent in the corresponding period of 2026.
In terms of the number of house sales, Russia remained the leading foreign buyer, maintaining its top position from the previous year. Russia was followed by Iran, Germany, Ukraine, Iraq, China, Azerbaijan, Palestine, Afghanistan and the United States.
By number of transactions, Istanbul ranked first among Turkish provinces attracting foreign property investment. Antalya followed in second place, ahead of Mersin, Ankara, Muğla, İzmir, Bursa, Yalova, Sakarya and Aydın.
