Furnishing your home in Turkey becomes even easier and cheaper!

Buyers of property in Turkey are sometimes daunted by having to furnish their new property from the roof downwards - after all, these days even new couples moving into their first home together usually have the odd wardrobe, set of cutlery or at least an ironing board to start them off.

And of course, trying to find a sink plunger when you can't find the right word in your phrase book, or knowing that you'll get the best price by bargaining but not being quite sure where to start, can make doing your tax return suddenly look very appealing in comparison...

Well now relief is at hand. Swedish home giant Ikea has extended its reach into Turkey, and at the same great prices. So UK and US homebuyers can cut out the confusion and pick up everything from teaspoons to home offices in one familiar place!

Ikea Turkey is at Istanbul and Izmir - or get a preview and view the online catalogue here: Ikea Turkey online catalogue

Why Invest in Turkish Property? Quotes from the experts

"Turkey today is among the twenty largest economies in the world with a GNP of about 380 billion US Dollars. "

"Turkey will meet the Maastricht Criteria even before becoming a full member of the EU. It is estimated that in the next decade, Turkey will become the sixth largest economy in Europe, with a total GDP of over 800 billion Euros."

"Bilateral trade between Turkey and EU countries is fast approaching 80 billion Euros, making Turkey one of the EU’s largest trading partners. "

Source: COMMENTS ON THE 2006 DRAFT REPORT OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT ON TURKEY’S PROGRESS TOWARDS EU ACCESSION - Available on the website of the Turkish Embassy in London

**UPDATED FLASH MESSAGE FROM THE BRITISH EMBASSY IN ANKARA**

"We can now confirm that the law relating to the purchase of property by foreigners in Turkey was ratified by Turkish Parliament on 7 January 2006 and is now in force." Official website of the British Embassy in Ankara, advice for Britons seeking to purchase property in Turkey

This long-awaited law, ratified at the beginning of 2006, finally standardised the rules affecting Britons, Americans and other nationalities who want to buy property in Turkey.

What is the new legislation?

• You can own up to 2.5 hectares or 25,000m2 of land or property (You can apply to the Council of Ministers to increase this to 30 hectares or 300,000m2 but acceptance isn't guaranteed)
• You can't buy in a military or security zone
• The same rights apply to you in Turkey as apply to Turkish property buyers in your country (ie Turkish citizens and companies can buy and own property in Britain and the US, so British and US citizens and companies can buy and own property in Turkey)
• British citizens can pay for property in either Turkish lira (YTL) or in British pounds (GBP)
• You can transfer money via your bank without limit
• Your application to buy your property must be registered at the local Land Registry
• You can buy in a village or rural area
• Your application to buy must be checked by the Turkish military
• You need only pay tax on their purchase in Turkey, not in the UK as well
  

For more information visit the Turkish Embassy website's special section on Buying property