Property sales bring in 3.48 billion liras

ANKARA - Radikal

The Turkish Treasury has earned nearly 3.48 billion Turkish Liras from property sales since November 18, 2002, Finance Minister Mehmet Şimşek has said, according to daily Radikal.

A total of 134,907 properties with a combined area of 769.7 million square meters under Treasury ownership in 81 provinces were sold, he said in a reply to a parliamentary question from main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) deputy Ali İhsan Köktürk.

The number of properties sold in 2002 was 3,519. The figure increased more than threefold to 11,969 in 2011. Some 3,000 properties have been sold so far this year.

In the three biggest provinces in terms of population the number of properties sold was 9,524 in Istanbul, 5,124 in the western province of İzmir and 12,858 in the capital city of Ankara.

The highest revenue from public properties sold between 2002 and 2012 was registered in 2005 with 673.15 million liras.

The government in May simplified land sales to foreigners, which is expected to accelerate both public and private property sales. The government also approved a draft law in April to sell unfrozen lands and pasture.