The leading economic website Aliqtisadi, based in Ramallah, recently reported a 12% increase over the past year in the number of Turkish properties purchased by Arab residents of Judea and Samaria. The total now stands at 294 properties, up from 262 at the end of the third quarter of 2023.
The minimum investment required for Turkish citizenship is $400,000, with buyers obligated to retain ownership for at least three years.
For many, this path offers a chance to explore better living conditions abroad.
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In parallel, Aliqtisadi has reported a marked rise in applications for visas to Europe and America. In an interview a few weeks ago with Eyad Al-Kourdi, Secretary of the Chamber of Commerce in Nablus and manager of a travel agency that handles visa applications, Al-Kourdi told the news site that about six months after the outbreak of the current war he noticed a surge in requests for travel visas, and the number of applications has now risen by by 50%-70% compared to before the war.
Al-Kourdi observed that most of the applications he receives are from 25 to 40 year olds seeking tourist visas, though most of them actually intend to find work, apply for asylum, or stay in these foreign destinations illegally to “live outside of Palestine”. He attributes this trend to economic challenges in “the West Bank,” restriction of entry to work in Israel leading to higher unemployment, and the political situation within the Palestinian Authority.
