From city flats with sweeping Bosphorus views to stone houses on the Aegean coast and creekside cabins in rural villages, Turkey offers a wide range of housing options for expatriates. Leyla Yvonne Ergil, a U.S.-born writer with Turkish roots, has lived in 10 homes across the country over the past 15 years, offering a personal glimpse into the shifting landscape of property, lifestyle and affordability.
With foreign property purchases in Turkey tripling over the past year, Ergil’s reflections chart a journey that mirrors broader trends in mobility, affordability and regional development.
Her first home in Istanbul’s historic Cihangir district offered sweeping views and a sense of community—but also nightly concerts from musical neighbours. A move to a studio with a terrace ended dramatically when a suspected cigarette sparked a fire, destroying the flat. That loss paved the way for her most memorable city home: a sixth-floor apartment with a 360-degree view of Istanbul’s skyline, complete with a rooftop terrace above.
While the panoramic views rivaled those of the Galata Tower, the lack of an elevator and a kitchenette eventually prompted a move to a more spacious and affordable option: a three-story villa in Yalıkavak, Bodrum.
“It felt like the right time to leave the big city behind,” Ergil said.
In Bodrum, she transitioned to a quieter life in a stone house in the nearby village of Çamlık, nestled among pine trees and overlooking the Aegean. But as tourism development expanded—bringing golf resorts and boutique restaurants—the village atmosphere began to change. Her rental was converted into a boutique eco-hotel.
She then relocated to Çanakkale’s Mount Ida region, where she was offered a village home rent-free for 10 years—on the condition that she maintain it. She even ran a local café briefly.
“I quite literally moved from one house to the next, each with better views than the one before,” she said.
Her most dramatic residence was a cliffside stone home in Assos with floor-to-ceiling glass and terraces overlooking Kadırga Beach. The dream came with trade-offs: no locks, rockfall risks, summer heat, and a steep, stair-only access route that became a logistical challenge in winter. Eventually, she left. Later tenants turned the terraces into a campground.
After exploring the southern coast, a road trip led her to Ortaca, a town nestled between Dalyan, Köyceğiz and the holiday hubs of Marmaris and Fethiye. Now based in a creekside standalone house with a mountain view, she lives among a growing foreign community.
“In this village, we say both ‘Hi’ and ‘Merhaba’—nearly half the residents are expats,” she said. “Once again, I’ve found a gem of a home to enjoy all the wonders Turkey has to offer.”
Ergil’s story underscores Turkey’s appeal as both a destination for lifestyle-driven relocations and a country of contrasts, where homes can range from modern villas to rustic retreats—often for less than in other Mediterranean countries. (Source: Daily Sabah)