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'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.

Passengers check-in for UK bound flights at a Turkish Airlines counter at Ataturk International airport in Istanbul, Turkey, March 24, 2017. REUTERS/Murad Sezer - RTX32IK6
Passengers check in at a Turkish Airlines counter at Ataturk International airport in Istanbul, Turkey, March 24, 2017. — REUTERS/Murad Sezer

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.

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