6,143 Turkish Citizenships Cancelled Due to Fake Appraisal Reports – What Are Your Rights?

The dream of acquiring Turkish citizenship through real estate investment has recently turned into a nightmare for thousands of foreign investors. In a shocking recent development, the Turkish government has cancelled the citizenships of 6,143 foreign nationals due to the discovery of fraudulent real estate appraisal reports.

If you have acquired or are in the process of acquiring Turkish citizenship by investment, this is a critical alert. Here is everything you need to know about why this is happening, how the scam works, and what legal steps you must take if you find yourself facing citizenship cancellation.

The Real Estate Appraisal Scam: Are You a Victim?

To obtain Turkish citizenship by investment, foreign nationals are required to purchase real estate worth a minimum of 400,000 (previously 250,000). To prove this value, an official appraisal report from a Capital Markets Board (SPK) licensed appraiser is mandatory.

Unfortunately, a widespread scam has emerged. Malicious sellers, real estate agents, and corrupt appraisers collaborate to artificially inflate the value of properties. For instance, a property actually worth $150,000 is falsely appraised at $400,000. The foreign investor, trusting the state-licensed appraiser and the local real estate agent, pays the inflated price, completely unaware of the fraud.

When the government later audits these files and discovers the fake appraisals, they immediately cancel the investor’s citizenship, leaving the innocent foreigner with a cancelled passport and a severely overpriced property.

The Legal Ground: Does the Law Protect the Innocent Investor?

The Turkish government bases these cancellations on Article 31 of the Turkish Citizenship Law (No. 5901), which states that citizenship can be revoked if it was acquired through "false declaration or concealment of important matters."

However, there is a vital legal nuance here that is your strongest defense: Did you intentionally make a false declaration?

According to the established precedents of the Turkish Council of State (Danıştay), for Article 31 to be applied, the applicant must have a subjective intent to deceive. As a foreign investor, you relied on an official, state-licensed appraiser. You cannot be expected to audit a licensed expert. Therefore, if you are a bona fide (good faith) purchaser who was scammed, you are the victim of the fraud, not the perpetrator.

Your Legal Roadmap: 4 Steps to Save Your Citizenship and Investment

If you receive a notification that your Turkish citizenship is being cancelled, you must act swiftly. The clock is ticking.

1. File an Administrative Lawsuit (Annulment Action) You have a strict 60-day legal deadline from the date of notification to file an annulment lawsuit before the Turkish Administrative Courts or the Council of State. Your legal team must immediately request a "stay of execution" to halt the cancellation process by proving your good faith and lack of intent to deceive.

2. File a Criminal Complaint To strengthen your administrative lawsuit and prove you are a victim, an aggressive criminal complaint must be filed with the Chief Public Prosecutor's Office against the seller, the real estate agent, and the appraiser for "Qualified Fraud" and "Forgery of Official Documents."

3. Sue for Financial Compensation You are entitled to get your money back. Under the Turkish Code of Obligations, you can file a civil lawsuit against the seller for "Fraud" or "Extreme Disproportion" to cancel the real estate sales contract and demand a full refund. Additionally, you can sue the appraisal company for the financial damages they caused you.

4. Remedy the Shortfall In some strategic cases, if the actual value of the property is indeed below the legal threshold, making an additional real estate investment to cover the missing amount can be presented to the authorities to objectively fulfill the legal requirement and salvage your citizenship status.

Do Not Face the Bureaucracy Alone - Consult a Turkish Citizenship Lawyer

Citizenship cancellation is one of the most severe administrative actions in Turkish law. Defending against it requires a synchronized strategy involving administrative law, civil litigation, and criminal prosecution.

If you suspect your property was overvalued or if you have already received a cancellation notice, contact our law firm immediately. We specialize in protecting the rights of foreign investors in Turkey and will meticulously fight to restore your citizenship and recover your financial losses.

Contact Information

• Phone: +90 539 243 02 27

• Email: halilibrahimbalaz@gmail.com

• Email: info@kilicbalaz.com