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Golden years in Turkey

Catherine Deshayes

Retirees are flocking abroad to enjoy their golden years in the sun. Whilst the strength of the euro has dulled enthusiasm in France, Portugal and Cyprus, Mediterranean countries outside the Euro-zone, such as Turkey, are becoming increasingly popular.

The largest mass exodus of people leaving the UK for pastures new has seen up to 4,000 people emigrating abroad each month.

The figures, from the Office of National Statistics, are so high due to the current economic uncertainty in Britain, the rising cost of living and the fear of increasing crime rates and pollution.

Sarah Woods, Editor of the Retirement Property Guide, said, "A large proportion of those departing have recently retired, joining the 1.3 million British retirees already living abroad.

"The traditional European retirement favourite, Spain, is less popular due to its collapsing property market and concerns about over-development and the land-grab," added Ms Woods.

Turkey, with its warm Mediterranean climate and friendly culture also has reasonable property prices and low cost of living, which equates to about half of the price of living in the UK.

A British pension can easily support a very good standard of living in Turkey. Groceries and utility bills are significantly lower than in the UK, and private healthcare is strong in Turkey.

Accessibility to Turkey has improved of late with increasing numbers of budget airlines now offering cheap, direct flights to parts of Europe, and the flight is only three and a half hours long.

Turkish retirement hot spots include Ozdere, a seaside town popular with Turkish retirees, and located close to the airport. Dalaman is another popular area for retirees looking for a picturesque area which is authentically Turkish and unchanged by mass tourism.

A free copy of the Buying in Turkey guide can be downloaded at www.buyingin.co.uk.

To browse properties in Turkey for sale, visit turkey.themovechannel.com/