Syrians with Turkish citizenship and real estate ownership in Turkey
The issue of Syrians with Turkish citizenship owning real estate in Turkey has always been a thorny issue that has sparked a great deal of controversy among foreign investors, as Turkish law imposes on Syrians with Turkish citizenship who wish to own a property in Turkey by requesting written approval from the Immigration Department in the state in which they reside.
This remained a controversial topic until the date of November 16, 2021, when a circular was issued by the Presidency of the Foreigners Department of the General Directorate of Land Registry and Land Survey of Turkey stipulating that Syrians with Turkish citizenship are treated like Turkish citizens and therefore they can directly own real estate in Turkey.
Law for Syrians holding non-Turkish nationalities and want to own properties in Turkey
The circular also deals with the issue of Syrians holding nationalities other than Turkish and states the following:
- A Syrian holder of a nationality other than Turkish is treated according to the treatment of a foreign citizen, and property laws that recognize the inability of a Syrian citizen to own property in Turkey shall apply to him regardless of whether he has obtained any other nationality.
- For foreigners born in Syria and not holding Syrian citizenship, they must submit a document proving their foreign origins, such as the case of Palestinian citizens born in Syria who do not hold Syrian citizenship, so they can buy a property in Turkey provided that they prove their Palestinian origins.
Does the Turkish state have the right to seize the properties of naturalized Syrians?
It is not possible to seize the real estate of Syrians holding Turkish citizenship, and the circular stipulates the abolition of the obligatory signature of the Syrian person on the document ceding the ownership of a property to the state treasury during the transfer of ownership, when Turkish citizenship is canceled or in the absence of a Turkish heir.
The circular also indicates that Syrians or citizens belonging to any country that are prohibited from owning property in Turkey and who owned a property in Turkey before the decision will be treated according to the property rights granted to them by the nationality of the country on which they owned, as an example:
In the event that the citizen is a Syrian and holds Sudanese nationality and owns a property through Sudanese nationality before the issuance of the circular, he will be treated on the basis that he is Sudanese.
In addition, the General Directorate of Registry of Registry in Ankara will be reviewed with regard to Syrian citizens owning pre-registered real estate, and ownership applications for Syrian citizens will be rejected directly.
