The Board of Directors of the Association of Real Estate Service Exporters Association (GIGDER), convening in Alanya under the chairmanship of our President, Bayram Tekçe, discussed the current developments in our sector during its Board Meeting.
The press statement prepared by our Board of Directors and presented to the public emphasizes our strong support for the steps taken against organized activities carried out through irregularities and collusive real estate transactions in Turkish citizenship application processes, and underlines the necessity of implementing a certification system to combat illegal activities.
As the Association of Real Estate Service Exporters Association (GIGDER), we welcomed with great satisfaction the capture of numerous suspects during operations conducted against organized crime groups engaged in irregular practices and collusive real estate transactions within the processes of foreign nationals applying for Turkish citizenship in our country.
We fully support the determined pursuit of such fraudulent activities, which make no contribution to our economic development and damage our country’s international reputation. We believe that those who organize these collusive transactions must be punished in the most severe manner.
Since our establishment in 2020, we have reported companies identified as engaging in suspicious activities to the relevant authorities. These illegal practices primarily harm companies that conduct real estate exports in full compliance with the law and contribute to our economy.
International real estate investors make significant contributions to various sectors of our economy through the investments they carry out in our country. As revealed in our report titled Real Estate Export Research Series 1: Why Do Foreign Investors Purchase Real Estate in Türkiye?, published in 2021, approximately 40% of international investors who acquire real estate in our country lease these properties. This data demonstrates the meaningful contribution of international investors to meeting the demand for rental housing in Türkiye.
Therefore, it is essential to clearly distinguish between honest international investors who make their investments within the legal framework and those who resort to illegal practices.
With its 78 members as of today, GIGDER accounts for approximately 35% of Türkiye’s real estate exports and continues to work with full dedication to strengthen the country’s investment environment and protect its international image.
In order to prevent such activities that harm our country’s reputation, it is imperative that all investments be carried out through certified intermediary institutions that adopt responsible and ethical trade practices and fully comply with the law. Within this framework, we call for the swift implementation of the certification proposal we have previously submitted to the relevant authorities.
Sincerely,
GIGDER Board of Directors
