In the opening months of the year, a notable trend emerged in the Turkish real estate market: buyers from Russia showed the strongest activity among international buyers. Between January and May, Russian purchasers accounted for a total of 5,723 housing units acquired within Turkey, according to data published by the country’s National Institute of Statistics (TUIK). This figure reflects a marked surge in demand from Russian buyers, signaling a robust interest in Turkey as a destination for property investment and personal use.
Runners-up in foreign demand also included citizens from Iran, Iraq, Kazakhstan, and Germany. Their purchase volumes stood at approximately 2,300, 809, 605, and 564 flats, respectively, underscoring a diverse range of international interest in Turkish real estate. Yet the Russian market clearly led the pack, more than doubling the volume of the next strongest group during the same period.
Further context from the period indicates that the January–May activity translated into a broad footprint for foreign real estate transactions in Turkey, with foreign buyers collectively completing about 16,800 property deals during those five months. This level of activity demonstrates sustained international appetite for Turkish housing and reflects a broader climate of investment and relocation considerations among foreign nationals with ties to the region.
Analysts noted that public announcements following Turkey’s presidential elections correlated with shifts in demand among Russian buyers. In the weeks after the election results, reports cited a noticeable uptick in interest from Russians, with some estimates suggesting a 20–50 percent rise in inquiries and transactions within a seven-day window. This rebound was described as a response not only to political developments but also to renewed market confidence among existing clients of Turkish real estate agencies, as buyers re-engaged with agents and developers after the electoral outcome. (Source: TUIK; market commentary from Turkish real estate sector observers)