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Turkey to Revoke Citizenship for 451 Investors in CBI Real Estate Fraud Case

Aran Hawker: "The first step into a new country should not be to defraud the government."

Ahmad Abbas

IMI
• Editor

Turkish authorities have dismantled an organized crime network that facilitated fraudulent real estate transactions for 451 foreign nationals seeking citizenship by investment (CBI).

Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya announced the operation on Tuesday, which resulted in 106 arrests across 19 provinces and the seizure of assets worth millions of dollars.

An individual identified as M.A. led the criminal organization, which orchestrated fictitious property sales that allowed foreigners and their families to obtain Turkish citizenship while circumventing legitimate investment requirements.

Police have initiated procedures to revoke citizenship for all 451 individuals who participated in the fraudulent transactions.

Authorities seized 1,240 apartment units, 47 automobiles, 65 plots of land, and multiple corporate entities, including a holding company group and five joint-stock companies. The suspects face charges including establishing a criminal organization, migrant smuggling, money laundering, qualified fraud, and document forgery.

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Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya

“Turkish gang and investors trying to scam the system”

Aran Hawker, co-founder at CIP Turkey, claims that his firm “knew about the issue from the start” as clients would request access to one particular fraudulent scheme where they paid the required $250,000 investment threshold but received approximately $80,000 in cash back at title deed offices.

“The first step into a new country should not be to defraud the government,” Hawker says, explaining that legitimate firms refused such arrangements. He contends the situation should be characterized as “Turkish gang and investors trying to scam the system” since many clients “entered into it willingly” and actively sought these arrangements.

He speculates that “the door was possibly left deliberately open, and in the end the people who tried to play that game are the ones who lost out.” He suggests this may have represented a strategic enforcement approach, allowing fraudulent actors to expose themselves before authorities took action.

He explains that the particular fraudulent scheme exploited vulnerabilities in Turkey’s previous valuation system, which relied on bank appraisal officers who could potentially be influenced. Recent reforms have transferred this responsibility to the Capital Markets Board, which uses a random assignment system that eliminates potential manipulation.

Serhan Aysever, managing partner at Beyond Global Partners, argues that “this case highlights several key risks that prospective investors should be aware of, not just in Türkiye but in any market where citizenship or residence is offered through real estate investment.”

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He warns that such programs face vulnerability to abuse and that the case underscores risks for investors who fail to conduct proper due diligence on agents, lawyers, developers, and advisors involved in their transactions.

Taymour Polding, co-founder at CIP Turkey, notes that authorities have rejected honest applications or left them “in long-term limbo” due to administrative errors, including misfiling, incorrectly declaring the source of funds, or “even failing to write the correct SWIFT message when transferring their funds.”

Polding acknowledges that “organized crime always looks for ways to exploit all facets of industry,” but maintains confidence that “the Turkish CIP is one of the most robust in terms of due diligence.” He emphasizes that the vast majority of immigration firms follow regulations precisely, as sustainability depends on compliance.

He does point out, however, that investors must be wary that many real estate companies offer CBI services as an “add-on service”, not necessarily having qualified staff or lawyers to handle the applications, which can lead to further “complications with the application.”

“Risks that are often impossible to unwind”

Aysever explains that “real estate-linked migration programs are especially vulnerable to abuse because they combine both legal and financial components.” The investment migration industry has attracted increased regulatory scrutiny as programs expand globally.

He predicts that “events like this are likely to prompt greater regulatory attention, both locally and internationally” as authorities seek to prevent similar abuse.

He emphasizes that “real estate-based migration can offer legitimate opportunities, but only when approached with caution and handled by credible professionals.”

He warns that “cutting corners or relying on unverified actors carries substantial legal and financial risks that are often impossible to unwind after the fact.”

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