In the meeting dated 20.01.2021, which was held with the participation of the General Directorate of Civil Registration and Citizenship Affairs, the General Directorate of Land Registry and Cadastre and the Ministry of Treasury and Finance, the need to take additional measures in order to prevent possible simulation demands regarding the acquisition of Turkish citizenship through real estate acquisition.
In this context, on the date of 22.03.2021, the Ministry of Environment and Urbanization General Directorate of Land Registry and Cadastre Department of Foreign Affairs wrote a letter numbered E-69083781-010.06.02-861963. With this letter, some articles of the section titled “G-Transactions Between Foreigners” in the annexe of the circular on the “Regulation on the Implementation of Turkish Citizenship Law” dated 30/05/2019 and numbered 2019/5 have been amended.
One of the issues that have been changed is as follows. An immovable that will be subject to sale after the date of 12.01.2027 and to be used in citizenship transactions cannot be one of the immovables transferred to a Turkish citizen by the foreign real person’s own spouse and children or by a foreign real person of the same nationality.
As an example, after a Qatar citizen foreigner realizes the sale of his immovable to a Turkish citizen, another Qatar citizen will not be entitled to Turkish citizenship by purchasing this immovable property. Or, after transferring an immovable property purchased from the foreigner’s spouse or children to a Turkish citizen, it cannot be transferred to the foreigner himself. The reason for this change is to prevent possible simulation sales.
However, after the transfer of the immovable registered in the name of the foreign real person to the Turkish citizen after 12.01.2017, it is possible to acquire citizenship by a foreign real person of a different nationality. In other words, after a Qatar citizen transfers his immovable to a Turkish citizen, if the same immovable is transferred to a UAE citizen, the UAE citizen will be able to acquire Turkish citizenship through foreign real estate acquisition.
Please see the example below. Please note that the nationalities are given exemplary purposes
| Not Possible | Qatar | Turkish | Qatar |
| Possible | Qatar | Turkish | UAE |
