Magster
Quite agree with your analysis. Have travelled out of the tourist areas occasionally and even in in Western turkey towns such as Aydin there is a marked difference in appearance of properties. Also if you go to the cities the number of unemployed men hanging about the street is notceable. The east of Turkey states such as Van have very high levels of poverty. However a visitor to this country would not have to look far to find poor housing stock and social problems albeit not on the same level as in Turkey.
The country still represents good investment potential as markets such as real estate are not yet mature as in Western Europe. The cost of living is low and the standard of living for someone on what would be a very modest income by UK standards would be quite good. I am pleased with my purchase as the capital growth has performed way above that in in Western Europe over the past two years. I obtain a small income from lettting to non family which covers my management fees so it is not costing me anything. Had I bought for income then I would have been disappointed as it is difficult to obtain sufficient tenants over the holiday season to make a significant income. If anyone is buying don't believe the claims of developers on income projections. The advice on buying propoerty in Turkey is the same as that for England. Buy somewhere to live and accept any investment windfalls as good fortune.

Sally and Bodman, thank you for your kind comments and for not shooting me down in flames! I thought long and hard before posting because I appreciate that I may upset some people with my contrary views.

I think Sally's advice is good and I wish everyone who has and is buying in Turkey good fortune. Just don't expect early entry into the EU!

A very interesting post magster and very well put. I love visiting Turkey and have some great Turkish friends. Many of them have told me things that you have mentioned. So many Brits go to the tourist areas to live or just holiday and find their money goes so much further than in UK, then there is the lovely weather, the laid back life style and of course the rose coloured glasses. Hey presto they are knocking UK at every opportunity and Turkey is so much better. It's sad that they have to do that. I know being poor in UK is not much fun but it's a darned sight better than many countries. It would be interesting to hear their views if they were poor in Turkey without health insurance or reasonable housing, if their children had been born disabled due to poor midwifery services and very little help to care for or educate those children. There are some really lovely qualities about Turkish people and the way of life but these brits don't seem to notice the very things they complain about in UK happening in Turkey. Theft, drug taking and dealing, domestic violence, mafia activities etc all go on there as they do in much of the world.

I think the question was turkish stability... I agree with all points about the way of life here. There is crime here as there is anywhere else. Also the way turks sort out "business" tends to be through the gun not the court. The mood though is slowly changing. Turks now actually trust the government and the banking systems. Before they would only trust the Army.
Turkey is viewed by the outside world as a fast emerging country a point emphasised by he takeover of Disbank by Fortis. Sekerbank is in discussion with 4 big euro banks, one of which is amro, about takeovers. Tesco bought 40% of the turkish supermarket chain Kipa... the list is growing. My point is that 5 years ago people would have laughed about investing in Turkey now its stability and, more important credibility, has been recognised.