Real estate agents, concerned Turkey's reputation will be damaged by oft-changed laws, called for an advertising campaign similar to that of Greece and Spain in order to boost real estate sales to foreigners.

When real estate sales to foreigners were last banned by the Constitutional Court, following an application by the Republican People's Party (CHP), many realtors in tourism hotspots saw business plummet. Thursday's decision to overturn this ban has several provisions: Foreign real persons will be able to buy up to 10 percent of the total area of the district in which their property will be located. The Cabinet reserves the right to alter this limit, taking infrastructure, the economic situation, energy, the environment, culture, agriculture and security factors into account.

A commission will be established at the Public Works and Housing Ministry that will evaluate offers and requests by public institutions. Its reports will then be submitted to the Cabinet for approval.

Alanya Real Estate Agents Association (ALEKOD) Chairman Kerim Balıktay said that the court's delayed decision to repeal the ban had affected the agents negatively. Balıktay said that 207 real estate agents filed for bankruptcy after the previous law was revoked by the Constitutional Court and added that many constructors are on the verge of bankruptcy.

The chairman of the association, based in the Mediterranean resort of Antalya, said Turkey's reputation suffers when laws are changed often and added: "We need to engage in PR and advertise our country worldwide. Construction companies and real estate agents cannot do this alone. We need to advertise our country with state support as is the case in Greece and Spain. We can regain Europe's trust again only in this way. All of the European countries think that Turkey does not allow real estate sales to foreigners."

Mehmet Ersoy, the owner of the Ersoy Construction Company in Alanya, said that the delay of the new law affected the construction business quite negatively. Ersoy said the new law should not be altered once more and added: "We want the new law to enter into effect as soon as possible. We have had to reject demands by foreigners for the last two months. We will try to regain their trust from now on and give more importance to promotional activities. We want the state to contribute to this campaign also and support us in this."

TODAYSZAMAN