Bodrum to become ‘Little Istanbul’ with great migration wave

Gizem Coşkunarda - MUĞLA

Following the deadly quakes that jolted Türkiye’s south in early February, an expected Istanbul tremor that experts for long have been warning about has come to the agenda once again, with the number of city’s residents who prefer to settle down in Bodrum is on the rise.

The population of Istanbul residents in the district has become considerably high, and the numbers are likely to increase with those preparing to move. Real estate consultants who work in the region describe Bodrum as “Little Istanbul” and ‘the “third side of Istanbul.”

Nükhet Ertürk, a real estate consultant in Bodrum, stated that migration from Istanbul to Bodrum first started eight years ago as the first urban transformation works had started in Istanbul. The second leg of the migration took place during the pandemic.

According to Ertürk, after the deadly Kahramanmaraş-centered earthquakes, Bodrum received another wave of migration, this time from the East. These quakes also triggered people’s fear of the expected Istanbul earthquake, and the third wave of migration from Istanbul to Bodrum began.

Ertürk pointed out that the most preferred areas are Ortakent, Konacık, Bitez and Yahşi neighborhoods, which are close to schools, hospitals and shopping centers. Remote workers, architects, advertisers, editors, writers and call center employees are the most common resident profile.

“Retirees are also coming. Those with a low budget prefer Turgutreis, while those with a better financial situation prefer Yalıkavak and Torba. You can live in a detached house in Bodrum for the rent you would pay for a two-bedroom flat in a newly built building in Istanbul. This attracts families with young children,” Ertürk added.

Levent Ercan, another real estate consultant, stated that people from Istanbul have created a small version of the metropolitan in Bodrum over the years, and at least five to 10 people from Istanbul call their office every day looking to rent a place long-term.

Ercan claimed that the main reason why people choose Bodrum is that there is everything a person who is accustomed to the high-status lifestyle of a metropolitan might need in the district, and it also carries the peaceful energy of an Aegean coastal town, with the convenience of traveling to Istanbul in an hour by plane.

“Bodrum is now the third side of Istanbul,” Ercan said.