Even though Turkey’s surging economy is the current driving force behind the latest wave of interest in Istanbul, this is a city that is making a name for itself off its own back too, and drawing the attention of the European property investor, one expert has claimed.

A recent PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) survey has unveiled as the most popular location in Europe for real estate investors, and there are probably two crucial reasons for this: tourists and big business.
And, next month (March) the city will get another significant boost when it launches its first 40-day shopping festival. The event will dominate the entire city and is likely to see hotel room occupancy soar once again.  Read more... (493 words, 2 images, estimated 1:58 mins reading time)

Turkey remains a great place for overseas property investors to buy, particularly in the capital city of Istanbul.

In January alone, according to the Turkish Culture and Tourism Ministry, Istanbul saw a 28.5 pc increase in the number of tourists visiting the city – meaning many foreign property investors are keenly watching the local property market.

The was a large mix in the tourists visiting – Germans topped the list followed by Russia, Italy, Iran, the UK and the US. With new international airport already in the pipeline, it is unsurprising that many real estate investors are contemplating Turkey for their property portfolios.  Read more... (154 words, estimated 37 secs reading time)

Istanbul could be an excellent place to buy property in 2011 with plans for a third airport for Turkey’s capital approved.

The Silivri district on the European side of the city will house the site for the new airport which is expected to have a capacity several times that of the main airport Ataturk International. Ataturk International saw almost 30 million arrivals in 2009, and 2010 saw a 13% increase in this number in the first four months alone. On the other side of the city, Sabiha Gökçen airport is popular with budget airlines with over 11 milion passengers expected to pass through the airport this year.  Read more... (200 words, estimated 48 secs reading time)

Turkey continues to buck global trends with GDP growth rates of 12% recorded for Q1 2010, domestic banks increasing the availability of credit by up to 30% and now levels of foreign direct investment in Istanbul are up by 27% according to the Istanbul Chamber of Commerce (ITO).

Turkey’s second city and economic powerhouse, Istanbul, has become a honey pot for international investors with the number of foreign investors planning to establish businesses or expand their operations in Istanbul up by over 6% in the first half of 2010 (compared to the second half of 2009). The ITO released data also revealed a 27.16% increase in the total value of these investments for the same period.  Read more... (393 words, 1 image, estimated 1:34 mins reading time)