Iraqis top list of foreigners buying homes in Turkey for third month

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – Iraqi nationals topped the list of foreign buyers of homes in Turkey in July, the third month in a row, Turkey’s Statistics Authority said on Saturday.

The authority said in a report that "citizens of Iraq bought 772 houses during July, followed by the Iranians with 619 houses, then the Russians with 365 houses, the Afghans with 229 houses, the Germans with 198 houses, Kuwait 189 houses, and Kazakhstan 166 houses."

The report added that "the number of homes sold to foreigners throughout Turkey during July amounted to 4,495," a 64 percent increase compared to the same month last year.

Most homes are sold to foreign nationals in Istanbul, with 951, followed by 931 in Antayla, Ankara with 312, Mersin at 217, and 158 homes in Busra."

Iraqis have been at the top of the list of home purchases in Turkey since 2015, but the ranking fell to second place after Iranians in the beginning of this year before returning to the top in May. Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu said last November that more than 114,000 Iraqis are in Turkey.