Turkish authorities have dismantled a crime syndicate accused of arranging fraudulent real estate sales to help hundreds of foreigners obtain citizenship, Turkish Minute reported, citing an announcement from Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya on Wednesday.
Yerlikaya said in a statement on X that 106 suspects were detained in raids across 19 provinces as part of the operation. The gang, led by a person identified only by the initials M.A., allegedly facilitated citizenship for 451 foreigners and their families by staging fake property transactions.
The suspects face charges including forming and joining a criminal organization, migrant smuggling, money laundering, fraud and forgery of official documents.
According to the minister, assets seized in the operation include five companies, 1,240 apartments, 65 plots of land, 47 cars and multiple bank accounts.
Yerlikaya also said the citizenship of the foreigners involved would be revoked.
In 2018 Turkey lowered the investment criteria for foreigners to become Turkish citizens in a bid to boost investment in the economy. The regulations stipulated that foreigners can become citizens if they own property worth $250,000 for three years, down from a previous value of $1 million. The minimum investment necessary to acquire Turkish citizenship was increased to $400,000 in 2022 and $600,000 in 2024.
There is a long-standing controversy over Turkey’s investment-linked citizenship scheme, which has been sharply criticized by opposition parties. The nationalist opposition İYİ (Good) Party last year filed a lawsuit with the Council of State seeking the annulment of citizenship granted through real estate purchases and foreign currency deposits, calling the practice unconstitutional and harmful to national integrity.
The issue became a focal point of criticism for the opposition, who accuse the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) of using citizenship as a tool for both economic gain and political influence. The government, however, has consistently defended its policies, asserting that security checks have been tightened and that every applicant is subject to rigorous scrutiny by Turkey’s intelligence agencies.
In 2023 law enforcement officers under Yerlikaya launched numerous operations targeting international crime syndicates, some of whose members reportedly obtained Turkish citizenship under the program.
Although the interior ministry denies any irregularities in the application process, opposition figures continue to allege that Turkey has become a haven for criminals seeking to exploit the country’s investment-driven citizenship policies.
