European “long-term” tourists and property owners are starting to leave Turkish resorts – at least, according to Turkish media, Europeans living in Alanya have already begun to flee the resort, selling their homes.
The reasons are different, but there is also some reason that unites this phenomenon: according to the assurances of local officials, the rapid growth of the population at the resort is due to migrants from non-European countries, primarily Iran – and, of course, Russia.
This assessment was voiced by the Turkish media councilor of the municipality of Alanya Fikret Arik. He said that in particular 20 Finns sold their houses and moved from Alanya. “I think the main reason for this is the increase in the number of people from other cultures in the city, such as Iran and Iraq. The clash of cultures that has recently begun in Alanya is pushing Europeans to sell in bulk. A large number of housing sales to those who come from the Middle East, and the formation of a new group of Alanya residents are pushing Europeans out of our city,” he said.
Kerim Balyktay, president of the Alanya Real Estate Brokers Association (ALEKOD), added that for more than 30 years the city’s tourism potential was considered European, but now the situation is rapidly changing. “People from countries such as Russia, Iran, and Iraq started coming here quite recently. Alanya has received intense migration and continues to grow day by day. As a result, Europeans want to leave the city when it is too crowded. They are concerned about migration and the density that Alanya is getting. As a result, Europeans sell their apartments in Alanya. They prefer quiet places because they want to get away from the crowded environment. The main reason Europeans want to leave is not cultural conflict, but traffic and density of people,” said a local businessman.