Iranians Spent Over $1.5b for Buying Property in Turkey
IRAN NEWS ECONOMIC DESK
Head of industry and mine commission in Tabriz Chamber of Commerce says despite the devaluation of dollar, Turkey is still is the major destination for Iranian tourists for recreational trips.
Speaking to ILNA, Mr. Masoud Bonabian said that despite devaluation of national currency and the price of dollar which is now traded for around 11,000 tomans, the number of Iranian tourists to Turkey has increased because Turkey is still the cheapest destination and its price of apparel is cheaper comparing to Iran.
He added that the number of visitors to Turkey has increased by 45 percent in the first half of the year comparing to the same period in the preceding year.
Bonabian added that Turkey is a cheap destination for recreation and purchasing apparel, adding that Turkey’s apparel products are 50% cheaper than what is produced in Iran with even better quality and design.
He added that because of visa upon arrival and attractive offers by travel agencies, people are encouraged to visit Turkey and it is also reported that Turkey’s government pays subsidy for Iranian tourists.
He noted that we should accept that Iran is expensive for recreational trip, adding that booking a room at a 4-star hotel in Tehran would cost the guests 800,000 tomans per night but one can book a room with the same quality in Istanbul for only 250,000 tomans.
Bonabian added that today the cost of a trip to Kish Island will almost equal to a trip to Istanbul.
He admitted that goods in Iran are priced based on the 18,000-toman dollar while the price of the dollar in the open market is around 11,000 tomans and it encourages people to buy their goods in Turkey. He reiterated that if the inflation rate does not come down, the flight of forex for purchase would increase.
He added that new law in Turkey enables one to get Turkish passport by purchasing a property worth $250,000 or deposit over one million dollars in the bank. He added that the law has encouraged Iranians to invest in Turkey, and over 260,000 Iranians have obtained Turkish passports. He added that if four people form a household, it means over 60,000 Iranians have bought property in Turkey. The figure shows that at least around $1.5b dollars have left the country for purchase of property in Turkey, reiterating that if Turkey lowers the basic price for investment, more dollars will leave Iran.
Bonabian added that because of devaluation of Turkey’s currency lira, Iranians who have bout properties in Turkey have suffered losses by 50 percent and they are unable to sell their property by for three years.
He admitted that despite these problems, many Iranians are still striving to get Turkish citizenship.
