'Plan B' for worried Turks: Move abroad
Under increasing political and economic pressure at home, thousands of wealthy Turks are buying property abroad to obtain residency permits.
Since the failed coup in July, many Turks have been buying real estate in the United States and Europe to obtain residency permits. The concern grew even wider after an April 16 referendum granted the president broad powers, and there was a hike in the number of people trying to relocate.
Turks are seeking asylum in several European countries such as Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands and Norway. Germany’s approval of asylum requests from hundreds of Turkish officers and diplomats has triggered a political crisis between the two countries.
After the coup, the government declared a state of emergency and began firing and/or detaining tens of thousands of public servants, judges, prosecutors, teachers and businesspeople, as well as members of the police and military. Initially, the purges seemed to only affect suspected members of the Gulen Movement, which was blamed for the coup, but it soon became apparent that anyone in the opposition could become a target. Many people fear that the constitutional changes approved under the referendum will mean even greater pressures.
Although Turks primarily want to settle in the United States, there is also interest in Spain, Greece and other European countries.
