Sports celebrities in Bodrum

Australian Tim Cahill, midfielder for the English premier league team Everton, recently bought land where he has had built an elite villa in Bodrum. He said of his villa & Bodrum, “It’s a very good property investment in Turkey, holiday home & a great place to play golf.”

Tim said, “Being a footballer you don’t always know when you’re going to be able to get away, this is ideal.”

Tim emphasised that the best option was Turkey & Bodrum, “It’s five minutes from Bodrum airport, so I can take in some sun, play a bit of golf & fly my family over from Australia for a holiday to.”

Tim explained some of the reasons for choosing Turkey; beautiful geographical location, fantastic climate – weather & beaches, good food & a great tourist industry which is booming; “It is not to far either from Galatasaray who my mate Harry Kewell plays for so I will be able to go & watch him.”

He added “I have travelled all over the world & Turkey has got to be one of the most beautiful place I have been, there are not only places like Bodrum, but Istanbul to, with so much to see; it is a great place to have a holiday home.”

Tim paid around 200,000 GBP for his property but there are many apartments & villas in Bodrum. Tim added that his Turkish villa is big & light & the living area is “summer living” to include all the comforts, which suits him being an Australian.

Tim who is interested in real estate added that it was not just about money & investment; he wanted to enjoy the luxury lifestyle as well.

Tim is in good company as Andy Johnson, striker for English premier league team Fulham, also has property in Bodrum.

If football’s not your thing & although he might be retired from boxing, Ricky ‘the hitman’ Hatton could still knock you over with his sheer enthusiasm for his latest property venture.

“I bought a villa off-plan near Bodrum in Turkey two years ago & now I want to build a training camp there as well”, says the 31-year-old former world champion.

“I’m building a stable of about 25 fighters & the place will be ideal for them. It’s hilly, which will be great for their road work, the heat will help them acclimatise for fights abroad, & the golf makes it an ideal place to chill after a fight.”

If this all reads like the familiar story of the retired fighter rushing to spend his hard-won fortune then think again — Hatton is no fool with his money.

Managed by his father, Ray, he has his own leisurewear range & is now moving into the management & promotion side of boxing — hence his plans for the training camp in Bodrum.

He has been typically canny with his property dealings. The four-bedroom, two-bathroom villa in Bodrum comes with its own swimming pool & cost just 159,000 GBP.

Up until recently Hatton lived in a modest semi-detached house in Hyde, Manchester, where he was brought up. It was only when fans took to looking through his windows that he decided on something rather more private.

So he bought a far larger £750,000 home a few streets away in Gee Cross, put in a swimming pool & games room & built a high surrounding wall.

Hatton now lets the semi in Hyde & lives in the new house with his girlfriend. He also has a holiday villa in Tenerife. Considering that he is believed to be worth around £25 million, it is hardly an extravagant portfolio.

Hatton, a fierce Manchester City supporter, has always remained true to his roots & it was family holidays in Bodrum that first brought him to the Bodrum peninsula.

“I used to come here with my parents & my brother & now that I could be described as retired from the ring, I want to spend time here with my girlfriend & my own little boy, Campbell”, he says. “I just can’t get over how much the place has changed. There are golf courses galore & Bodrum is absolutely beautiful.”

The part of Bodrum where Hatton has chosen to invest is undergoing a £4.1 billion development “Golf is the driving force behind it,” say English estate agents Savills.

“You can get phenomenal value for money in terms of property in Turkey & can also let your Turkish property ten months of the year quite easily.”

The Ankara government is behind this golfing boom. Areas have been identified for up to 100 new courses to be built by 2014 & the policy is already paying dividends.

The prices might sound low, but don’t imagine Bodrum is a cheap & cheerful part of Turkey. It is a favourite holiday spot for wealthy types from Istanbul. In Yalikavak, its plushest suburb, the prices of some modern houses start at more than 1.5 million GBP & mansions sell for 6 million GBP & above.

Investing in Turkey appears to have been a shrewd move on Hatton’s part. With its population of 73 million & growing, there is a significant shortage of housing & this should maintain demand & ensure prices continue to appreciate. The Turkish real estate & construction sector grew by 21.9% in the second quarter of 2010. These types of statistics have increased confidence in the Turkish real estate & construction sectors, & English investors are gravitating toward Turkey to take advantage after the financial crisis.

Turkey is also economically sound, having come out of the recession relatively unscathed, largely thanks to not being in the Euro-zone. It is the 15th-largest economy in the world & would be the sixth largest in the European Union if, as expected, it is granted full membership by 2020.

Turkey is the centre of attraction for property investment especially for European investors after the global financial crisis.

Is golf much of an attraction to Ricky Hatton when he visits Bodrum? “To be honest with you, I just hack around the course — I’m not very good,” he says.

“But I find it relaxing. And one thing is for sure — it’s a damn sight less painful than fighting.”

Sources: Milliyet, Haber, Daily Mail.

Turkey tops World Travel Market ExCel London

The Turkish Office of Culture & Tourism was an exceptional contributor to this year’s World Travel Market [WTM] held at ExCel in London during November with this year’s Turkish stand growing 30% in size since last year.

At the press conference Mr. Ozgur Ozaslan, Turkey’s Deputy Undersecretary Responsible for Tourism, announced that Turkey had not experienced any reduction in its tourist arrivals in the past two years unlike many other countries.

Indeed, by welcoming over 27 million visitors to its shores in 2009, Turkey achieved an increase of 2.8% in visitor numbers positioning it as the only country to benefit from a growth in inbound tourist numbers in 2009.

Growth looks set to be even more spectacular during 2010 according to the early figures which reveal over 23 million visitors arriving in Turkey in the first nine months of the year, extrapolated, a year on year increase in tourist arrivals of 6%.

Turkey’s success has also been reflected in winning various tourism awards to include being voted “Favourite Destination” in the 2010 Reader’s Travel Awards by the readers of the world famous Condé Nast Traveller UK magazine & numerous World Travel - European Awards it has received this year.

Istanbul, the European Capital of Culture for 2010, has also staged countless arts & cultural festivals, activities & concerts & has acted as host to a succession of world sports events such as the FIBA world basketball championships & Formula 1 events.

In a continuation of Turkey’s emerging role in the sports world the Universiad Winter Games will be held in Erzurum, Turkey’s centre of winter sports, between 27 January – 6 February 2011, & the 11^th European Youth Olympic Festival [EYOF] the only all-European multi-sport event will be held in Trabzon between 23 - 30 July 2011.

In London to receive the Chatham House Statesman of the Year Award 2010 from the UK’s Queen Elizabeth II, Turkish President Mr. Abdullah Gul will be opening the Yunus Emre Turkish Cultural Centre in November 2010, [Yunus Emre Turkish Cultural Centres have opened in Bosnia Herzegovina, Albania, Egypt, Macedonia & Kazakhstan. Plans are underway for new centres in other countries including Germany, France, Kosovo, Syria & Russia], in addition to the Mimar Sinan exhibition held at the Royal Institute of British Architects [RIBA] dedicated to the chief Ottoman royal architect during the 16th century. His most famous work being the Suleiman Mosque in Istanbul.

Mimar Sinan [1490 – 1578] was the chief Ottoman architect & civil engineer to sultans Suleiman I, Selim II & Murad III. He was responsible for the construction of more than three hundred major structures amongst other more modest projects.

President Gul stated that “Mimar Sinan is a part of Ottoman & Turkish culture & a part of the common heritage we share with countries from Romania to Saudi Arabia, from Greece to Israel.”

The WTM Turkey press conference was attended by Mr. Ozgur Ozaslan, Deputy Undersecretary Responsible for Tourism; Mr. Cumhur Guven Tasbasi, General Director for Promotion; Mr. Levent Demirel, Deputy General Director - all from the Turkish Ministry of Culture & Tourism & Mr. Irfan Onal, Director, Turkish Culture & Tourism Office UK.

Additionally, Turkish Members of Parliament, Provincial Governors & representatives of the tourism industry also attended WTM this year.

There were also special head-to-head sessions with senior representatives from the Mugla & Antalya regions & a series of high-level meetings throughout the four days.

Turkish Government And Local Municipalities Limit Density Of Construction

Turkey is learning from the mistakes of Spain by guaranteeing that its immaculate coastline remains unspoilt.

This is undeniably a crucial step on the way to Turkey becoming a principal destination for overseas buyers.

The Turkish Government has certainly decided that the Spanish construction approach is not their chosen method of development.

The measures that they have taken in restricting and regulating coastal construction will give Turkey a head start in the global market for property investors and holiday-home buyers.

Unlike Spain’s Costa del Sol, obstructed by towering architecture, the Bodrum Peninsula in Southwest Turkey is a protected area; buildings can only be two storeys high and must be whitewashed, giving the region an authentic and picturesque identity. Furthermore, only 20% of the land in Bodrum can be built on, thus ensuring that its exquisite range of wildlife and natural beauty will be protected for generations to come.

Other advantages of the area include the availability of affordable property, advances in tourism, a low cost of living and quality healthcare.

However, what really sets Turkey apart is the security of investment. The Spanish Government permitted the construction of resorts too close to the beach or on land that had not been acquired by the seller. The corruption involved provoked international outrage as people had entrusted their lifetime savings, only to find that some developments had been illegitimately constructed and were under serious threat.

Turkey is often compared to Spain more than 20 years ago; the coastline is intact and the beaches uncontaminated. Tourism is increasing yet building is restricted enough to enable the growth of coastal resorts without damaging the country’s natural beauty.

A White Paper has been issued by the Turkish Ministry of Forestry and Agriculture that sets out guidelines that intend to limit the density of construction and retain the authenticity of major tourist areas covering the Aegean and Mediterranean coastlines.

Cumberland Properties has been nationally recognised as a green company that operates in the Bodrum area. They own three developments on the Bodrum Peninsula, all of which are excellently located and proud to maintain the area’s nature and wildlife. The unique Woodland Regency development is set in the heart of a tranquil pine forest and the development was constructed around the trees; not a single one was damaged in the process. The exceptionally built villas and apartments are in extremely high demand. The development boasts two large, communal swimming pools, a golf putting area and outdoor playground, an exclusive spa and fitness area and 24 hour security.

Cameron ‘anger’ at slow pace of Turkish EU negotiations

David Cameron has promised to “fight” for Turkey’s membership of the European Union, saying he is “angry” at the slow pace of negotiations.

On his first visit as prime minister, he said the country could become a “great European power”, helping build links with the Middle East.

He compared hostility to the membership bid in some parts of the EU with the way the UK’s entry was once regarded.

Mr Cameron was expected to agree a new strategic partnership with Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan during his visit.

‘Frustrating progress’

In a speech at the Turkish parliament in Ankara, Mr Cameron said he wanted to “pave the road” for Turkey to join the EU, saying the country was “vital for our economy, vital for our security & vital for our diplomacy”.

A European Union without Turkey at its heart was “not stronger but weaker… not more secure but less… not richer but poorer”.

Mr Cameron added: “I’m here to make the case for Turkey’s membership of the EU. & to fight for it.”

At a joint press conference with Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Mr Cameron suggested the UK would impose provisional restrictions - as with Bulgarians & Romanians after they joined - on the right of Turkish people to live & work in the UK after it joined the EU.

But the rapid rate of Turkey’s economic growth would make any restrictions unnecessary in decades to come, he added.

He said: “One of the effects here is that [as] economies grow & become more evolved, the pressure & flow [of people] between countries isn’t so great.”

Referring to former French President General Charles de Gaulle’s efforts to block British membership of the EU in the 1960s, Mr Cameron said in his speech: “We know what it’s like to be shut out of the club. But we also know that these things can change.

“When I think about what Turkey has done to defend Europe as a Nato ally, & what Turkey is doing today in Afghanistan, alongside our European allies, it makes me angry that your progress towards EU membership can be frustrated in the way it has been.

“My view is clear. I believe it is just wrong to say that Turkey can guard the camp but not be allowed to sit in the tent.

“So I will remain your strongest possible advocate for EU membership & greater influence at the top table of European diplomacy.”

Regional role

Mr Cameron said those who opposed EU membership were driven by protectionism, narrow nationalism or prejudice.

“Those who wilfully misunderstand Islam, they see no difference between real Islam & the distorted version of the extremists. They think the problem is Islam itself. And they think the values of Islam can just never be compatible with the values of other religions, societies or cultures.”

He said: “All of these arguments are just plain wrong. And as a new government in Britain, I want us to be at the forefront of an international effort to defeat them.”

While praising Turkey’s secular & democratic traditions, Mr Cameron stressed that Turkey must continue to push forward “aggressively” with economic & political reform to maintain momentum towards EU membership.

He said the country had a “unique influence” in helping to build a stable Afghanistan through political & economic co-operation & fostering understanding between Israel & the Arab world.

Source: BBC

2010 A Year Of ‘Hope’ Say Businessmen

As the global economy is showing signs of recovery from the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression, indications abound that 2010 will be a year when the recovery kicks in, especially in Turkey, where signs that a recovery is picking up pace revealed themselves towards the end of 2009.

The crisis hit fundamental economic indicators like production, exports, investments and unemployment, leading to massive stimulus packages taken by nations looking to protect themselves from economic free-fall.

The speed at which governments enacted such measures was unprecedented, and possibly saved the global economy from falling into a further global slump rivalling the turbulent times of the 1920s.

The upturn in economic conditions in Turkey in the last quarter of the year has left many wondering whether the worst is over, and whether 2010 will make up for the losses in 2009.

Although Turkey’s Medium-Term Economic Program (MTEP) released by the government predicted a return to growth in 2010, some in the business world are calling this overly optimistic, while others are saying that the government should aim even higher.

Regardless of the exact numbers, the Turkish business world, having seen the recent rays of hope in the economy, is hopeful about the coming year.

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