Turkish housing policies after crisis worsened inequality study finds

State-led regulatory interventions in Turkey following the 2018 currency crisis reshaped the housing market to benefit middle and high income groups while limiting access for low income households, Bioengineer.org reported. The findings come from a study published in the journal City, Territory and Architecture. [1]

Researcher Suheyla Turk conducted the study using a case study methodology focused on Istanbul. The research analyzed the socioeconomic effects of four key housing re-regulations introduced between 2018 and 2024 by combining policy analysis with secondary quantitative data covering 2007 to 2025. [1]

The Turkish economic crisis began in 2018 and features high inflation, a sharp drop in the value of the Turkish lira, rising borrowing costs, and growing loan defaults. Excessive current account deficits and high levels of private foreign currency debt caused the broader financial downturn. [2]

Bioengineer.org reported that the study revealed how actions taken by the Turkish state housing agency after the crisis exacerbated inequalities across the housing sector. [1]