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Is Turkey Safe to Live In or Invest?

Yes! As a country that experiences four seasons, Turkey attracts tens of millions of tourists every year. Antalya and Istanbul are the most preferred destinations based on the number of incoming foreign visitors. As a foreigner, your safety and comfort will be held above all. 

Visited by 49 million foreign tourists in 2018, Turkey offers an immense amount of protection to foreigners. While it did go through a period of terror attacks, and experiencing a still ongoing refugee crisis with Syria, Turkey has always been safe for foreigners. Of course, nowhere is completely safe from crimes like theft, yet the Turkish police are one of the most investigative safety councils in the world. 

house sales to foreigners 2014-2017

Turkey continues to attract millions of foreign tourists through its beautiful beaches, ancient history, as well as adventure sports. Those who wish to stay, continue to buy their dream home, and gain citizenship for themselves and their families through the $250.000 USD investment method.

While the 16 million population of Istanbul can be overwhelming and bring certain safety fears to live in, it is easy to spot a police officer especially in large gathering spaces like Taksim Square and Kadıköy. Even so, there is always a unit at every subway station, and intersections on the highway.

Is it affordable to Live in Turkey?

While Istanbul might seem a bit costly for locals, it’s more reasonable for foreigners. Comparing it with western countries, we can admit that it has low daily costs for groceries, health care, clothes, and foods. However, it’s expensive for gasoline, automobiles, and imported goods as they are heavily taxed for personal usage.

Accommodation is the highest expense you will be paying. Of course, it depends on the size of the house and the area where it is situated. The central districts and those boarding the Bosporus from both sides European and Asian, have the highest rent such as Beşiktaş, Kadıköy, Üsküdar, Şişli, and Beyoğlu.

What about investing in the Turkish Lira? Can I trust my investment in banks, or expect to make a profit?

The lira has been on a fall compared to many of the western currencies since late 2012. At the time of this article, in October 2020, 1 Euro is equal to 9.28 Turkish Liras, and 1 USD is equal to 7.85 TRY. This huge difference attracts more people to the country every year. You can own the vacation home of your dreams on the beaches of the Aegean Sea in Turkey, rather than spending more in Spain or Italy, on the opposite end of the region. 

You can live in modern homes that are indistinguishable from five-star hotels. If you have saved up some money and looking for your dream house, you might find that massive villa in Istanbul or the rest of the country for a much more affordable price than your country of origin. In Istanbul nonetheless, where your home could face another continent.

For Investors, the country has been announcing several new projects as the last one opens. Istanbul now has a new airport, and GalataPort for cruise lines is about to be finished. The country has opened a third bridge on Bosphorus, and a bridge to connect Yalova to Istanbul in recent years. The latter has decreased the travel time between the two cities to 6 minutes from 2 hours. Now, the country is focused on the infamous megaproject, Canal Istanbul.

Can I Trust my Health to the Turkish Doctors?

Health has been a globally rising concern as Coronavirus lockdowns began, and continue with no close end. Turkey has a Universal Health Care System, available to all citizens at an affordable insurance rate. State hospitals, social security hospitals, and institutional hospitals were merged for use by all citizens. With their modern infrastructure, high-tech devices, and qualified healthcare professionals, 12 city hospitals entered into service in 11 provinces. 10 more city hospitals are under construction.

1,526 hospitals, some 4,000 medical treatment facilities, and over 15,000 primary healthcare centers continue to provide healthcare services without any disruption.

State-of-the-art technology ambulance fleets were formed with 5,400 fully-equipped vehicles and 19 aircraft.

Targeting to reach 5,000 at the end of May, Turkey can manufacture domestic ventilators to address domestic and international demand. The budget set aside for healthcare services has increased from 19 billion TRY to 190 billion TRY over the past 17 years.

An army of medical professionals was built with the employment of around 1.4 million people.

Healthcare investments during the past 6 years have grown by 14%. Having 46 intensive care beds per 100K inhabitants, Turkey is leading in the list of countries including Germany (34), Austria (29), the US (26), France (16), Canada (13), the UK 11), Spain (10), Italy (9), Denmark (8) and Ireland (5).

For the latest coronavirus statistics in Turkey, you can check the daily updated official Turkish Ministry of Health website, available in both Turkish and English; https://covid19.saglik.gov.tr/?_Dil=2