Rumors about a possible earthquake in Istanbul led to a sharp outflow of the population from the “cultural capital” of Turkey. At the same time, according to the Turkish media, both Turks and foreigners are fleeing from the former Constantinople to resort areas, but not to Antalya, which is also considered dangerous in terms of earthquakes. The resort of Bodrum in Mugla province, which is considered to be the furthest from the seismic fault line, became the most popular.
According to Nizamettina Aşa, the president of the Istanbul Chamber of Realtors, Mugla has become the province where most immigrants from Istanbul are currently arriving. Moreover, this region is at the center of attention both for residents of Istanbul and foreign citizens. As a result, prices have risen, and the amount of vacant real estate is approaching zero.
At least, Serkan Zeki Öztunkai, secretary general of the Bodrum Real Estate Consultants Association, stressed that Bodrum is fully booked all summer months, but this year the demand is much higher, he said: “Before, foreigners preferred the Alanya-Antalya region. But now they started coming to Bodrum. As a result, we see, on the one hand, increased interest from those fleeing a possible earthquake in Istanbul, and on the other hand, real refugees from the east. As a result, the population will increase to 1.5-2 million,” he said. He also added that the demand for annual rentals is actively growing, while the supply in this area is small, as owners prefer seasonal tenants. At the same time, he added that “the price range is very variable and can reach from 150 thousand to 5-6 million liras.”
He was supported by Ziya Erkan, president of the Professional Chamber of Real Estate Consultants of Mugla, who stated that there are not many sales due to the high price due to the high demand. “Many people want to rent a house, but there are no offers, and the prices for the available ones are astronomical. Currently, there is a huge shortage of rental houses in Mugla,” he said.
However, this is not the only problem – as Mr. Oztunkai emphasized, the population of Bodrum will increase to 1.5-2 million people with the arrival of the season – and this is a threat to the infrastructure of the resort. “We already have serious infrastructure problems – and they will only get worse. Water and roads will be a problem,” he said.