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If you are planning to buy property in Turkey, you have probably heard this question many times: Are Turkey’s closed areas open for obtaining a residence permit in 2026? This question has become especially important in recent years, as many foreign nationals purchased property in Turkey and later discovered that simply owning property does not necessarily mean they can apply for a new residence permit at the same address.

What were Turkey’s closed neighborhoods, and why were they created?

In previous years, the Turkish government restricted the registration of new residence permits for foreign nationals in certain neighborhoods due to the growing foreign population in some areas.

In an official announcement by the Turkish Directorate of Migration Management in 2022, it was stated that the number of restricted neighborhoods had reached 1,169. These restrictions specifically affected the registration of certain types of residence permits and changes of address for foreign nationals. As a result, many buyers found themselves in a situation where they selected a suitable apartment, purchased it, and had the title deed registered in their name, only to discover when planning their residence permit that the status of the property’s address needed to be checked separately.

Does a closed area mean that buying property is prohibited?

No. These two issues should not be confused. Restrictions on obtaining a residence permit are not the same as restrictions on property ownership. Under Turkish law, foreign nationals can purchase property within the applicable legal framework, and property ownership may also serve as a basis for applying for a short-term residence permit.

The main issue in previous years was that a property could be legally purchased and registered in the buyer’s name, while its address might not meet the requirements for certain new residence permit applications. Therefore, if your goal when purchasing property for sale in Turkey was to obtain a residence permit, it was necessary to verify whether a residence permit could be obtained at the property’s address before paying the deposit.

Were the restrictions on Turkey’s closed areas lifted in 2026?

Good news for property buyers in Turkey is that the situation in 2026 has changed compared with the first years after the introduction of the “closed areas” policy, making this issue particularly important for the Turkish real estate market.

On the other hand, if your goal is to purchase property for sale in Alanya or in other cities across Turkey, it is essential to clearly distinguish between three completely different objectives, which we will discuss below:

-Buying property and obtaining a residence permit based on property ownership

-Buying property for the purpose of living in Turkey

-Buying property with the aim of obtaining Turkish citizenship

Does purchasing property in Turkey worth $200,000 qualify you for a residence permit?

This is one of the most important points under the current rules of the Directorate General of Migration Management of Turkey.

“
“Türkiye’de taşınmaz malı bulunan yabancılar için; taşınmazın konut olması ve yabancının bu konutu ikamet amacıyla kullanması gerekmektedir. Taşınmazın satın alındığı tarihteki değeri en az 200.000 ABD Doları karşılığı Türk Lirası olmalıdır.”
According to Turkey’s official application form and the current requirements for obtaining a residence permit based on property ownership, foreign nationals applying on the basis of owning real estate must have purchased the property for a value of at least $200,000 on the date of purchase. The property must also be residential and used by the applicant as their place of residence.
Therefore, if you are planning to purchase property for sale in Istanbul or another city in Turkey in 2026 with the goal of obtaining a Turkish residence permit, the $200,000 threshold is an important amount to consider.

In addition, provided that you continuously reside in Turkey with a residence permit based on property ownership (Taşınmaz residence permit), after five years you may become eligible to apply for Turkish citizenship.

What Happens If the Property Is Worth Less Than $200,000?

This is one of the questions that has caused a great deal of confusion in the Turkish real estate market. If the property value is below the minimum amount required to obtain a residence permit based on property ownership, buyers should not be promised that they will automatically receive a residence permit simply because they purchased the property.

Depending on their individual circumstances, a person may be eligible to apply for another type of residence permit, such as a tourist residence permit. However, this is not the same as a residence permit based on property ownership (Taşınmaz residence permit).

Does purchasing a property worth $200,000 qualify you for Turkish citizenship?

Yes. If you legally reside in Turkey and maintain a Taşınmaz residence permit (residence permit based on property ownership) in accordance with the applicable requirements, after the legally required period you may become eligible to apply for Turkish citizenship through the general naturalization procedure, provided that all other requirements are met. Under Turkish citizenship law, general naturalization requires five years of continuous residence in Turkey immediately before the application, along with other conditions.

What is the difference between the options involving properties worth $200,000 and $400,000?

Category	Purchasing Property Worth at Least $200,000	Purchasing Property Worth at Least $400,000
Main purpose	Residence permit based on property ownership	Investment route to obtaining Turkish citizenship
Residence permit	May be obtained if the applicable legal requirements are met	A residence permit may also be obtained
Direct citizenship eligibility	No	You may apply if all requirements are met
Property ownership period	Subject to the rules governing residence and property ownership	For citizenship purposes, the property must not be sold for at least 3 years
Immediate passport issuance	No	Yes, subject to completion of the legally required procedure

Is 2026 a good time to buy property in Turkey?

If your goal is to live in Turkey, the changes in 2026 may be good news, especially for people who faced difficulties in previous years when choosing property because of restrictions affecting certain neighborhoods.

When making your decision, be sure to consider the right neighborhood, the right property, and the applicable residence permit conditions. These are three different aspects that should not be overlooked. A property may have an excellent price but may not be suitable for family life. A neighborhood may seem attractive, but the chosen property may have issues with its official valuation or documentation. Likewise, a property may be suitable for residential purposes but may not necessarily be the right choice from an investment perspective.

4 Alanya districts have reopened for residence permit applications.

One of the most important developments in the Alanya real estate market in 2026 was the lifting of residence permit restrictions in four districts that had previously been closed to new residence permit applications from foreign nationals.

AK Parti Alanya İlçe Başkanı Mehmet Şarani Tavlı, Alanya’da uzun süredir gündemi meşgul eden ve bazı mahallelerin ikamete kapatılmasıyla yaşanan ikamet izni sorununun çözüldüğünü müjdeledi. Tavlı, Mahmutlar, Kestel, Avsallar ve Kargıcak başta olmak üzere başvuruya kapalı olan mahallelerde ikamet izni başvurularının bugünden itibaren yeniden alınmaya başlandığını duyurdu.

According to reports published by Alanya Türk News in June 2026, residence permit applications were once again being accepted in Mahmutlar, Kestel, Avsallar, and Kargıcak. This is particularly important for foreign property buyers, as these districts are among the most popular areas in Alanya for buying property and enjoying a comfortable lifestyle on the Mediterranean coast.

Travok is ready to help.

Travok is an active real estate and construction company in Turkey, established in 2014 with a particular focus on the Alanya property market. Travok provides services including property buying and selling, construction projects, investment consulting, Turkish residency and citizenship consulting, and aims to support clients throughout the entire process, from selecting a property and viewing projects to completing the purchase and providing after-sales services.

If you need expert advice on buying property, investing, or obtaining a residence permit in Turkey, you can get in touch with the Travok team.