Başakşehir for International Buyers: What the District Offers and What to Check

By Cenan Can TekinNovember 12, 202613 min read

Başakşehir is Istanbul's planned family district in the north-west. It had 536,797 residents at the end of 2025, according to the Turkish Statistical Institute (TÜİK), and it is one of the city's busiest housing markets: 2,992 homes changed hands there between July and September 2026, the fourth-highest total of Istanbul's 39 districts.

What draws buyers is the way the district was built: large gated compounds, wide boulevards, parks, a 2,682-bed city hospital and, since June 2026, two metro lines that reach the coast, Marmaray and Istanbul Airport. What needs care is the residence permit: Başakşehir was closed to new residence permit applications in 2022, and in 2026 there is still no official notice reopening it. This guide sets out what the district offers, as of November 2026, and what we check before a client buys there.

The short answer

Question	Answer
Where is it?	European side, north-west of the centre, between the TEM motorway and Istanbul Airport
Population	536,797 (TÜİK, end of 2025)
Homes sold, July–September 2026	2,992, fourth of 39 districts; 65,232 across Istanbul
Metro	M3 from Kayaşehir to Bakırköy on the coast (about 39 minutes); M11 to Istanbul Airport and Halkalı, complete since 20 June 2026
Motorway	The Nakkaş–Başakşehir section of the Northern Marmara Motorway, 45 km, is due for completion in 2027
Hospital	Başakşehir Çam and Sakura City Hospital, 2,682 beds, open since May 2020
Residence permit through property	Closed to new applications since October 2022 by the last official statement; check the exact address
Citizenship	Not affected by the closure rule; the property must be worth at least USD 400,000

What kind of district it is

Başakşehir is not an old neighbourhood that grew outwards. Much of it was planned and built as large housing estates, many of them by Emlak Konut, the developer affiliated with the state housing agency TOKİ. The result is a district of compounds with their own gardens, pools and car parks, set along wide roads, with parks and schools between them. Its newest part, Kayaşehir, runs north towards the Samlar nature park and İbn Haldun University.

The population keeps growing: TÜİK recorded an increase of 30.9 per thousand in 2025, against a district that already had 520,467 residents a year earlier. Our district guide groups Başakşehir with Bahçeşehir, Ataşehir and Beylikdüzü as a choice for family life, and the district has a long-established Arab community.

Getting around

For years the weak point of Başakşehir was the distance to the centre. Rail has changed that.

M3 metro. Since April 2023 the line runs to Kayaşehir Merkez, after a 6.2 km extension from Metrokent. At Kirazlı it continues south on the same train to Bakırköy on the Marmara coast, with a change to Marmaray and the high-speed train at Özgürlük Meydanı. The journey from Kayaşehir to Bakırköy takes about 39 minutes.
M11 metro. The final section of the line, from Arnavutköy to Halkalı, opened on 20 June 2026, with stations at İbn Haldun University and Kayaşehir. The 69 km line now links Başakşehir with Istanbul Airport to the north, Gayrettepe on the business axis to the east, and Marmaray at Halkalı to the south.
Roads. The TEM motorway runs along the south of the district. The last part of the Northern Marmara Motorway, the Nakkaş–Başakşehir section of 25 km of motorway and 20 km of connecting roads, with the cable-stayed Sazlıdere Bridge, is still under construction. Its TEM–Bahçeşehir connection opened to traffic in October 2026, and completion is targeted for 2027.

Our guide to what to consider before buying an apartment in Istanbul explains why a walk to a station matters more than a straight-line distance.

"Clients often look at Başakşehir on a map and decide it is too far out. I ask them to time the trip they will really make: on foot from the front door to the nearest M3 or M11 station, then on to work, school or the airport. In Kayaşehir, that walk decides more than the view from the balcony." — Cenan Can Tekin, Founder & General Manager, CCT Investments

The hospital and daily life

The Başakşehir Çam and Sakura City Hospital opened in May 2020. It has 2,682 beds, 456 of them for intensive care, in a complex of more than one million square metres. For families, and for buyers who plan to spend part of the year in Istanbul, a hospital of this size within the district is one of the reasons they choose it. The Atatürk Olympic Stadium and the Başakşehir Nation's Garden are also in the district.

A busy market

Between July and September 2026, 2,992 homes were sold in Başakşehir, by the Türkiye newspaper's count from the official figures. Only three districts sold more. Across Istanbul, 65,232 homes changed hands in the quarter, so Başakşehir accounted for about 4.6% of the city's sales.

A busy market cuts both ways. It means there are buyers when you come to sell. It also means there is a lot of supply, from new compounds still being completed to older estates, so the price of a resale flat depends heavily on the age of the building, the compound and the walk to the metro.

The residence permit question

This is the point we raise first with every client who wants to buy in Başakşehir for a residence permit.

Since 2022 the Presidency of Migration Management (Göç İdaresi) has closed neighbourhoods, and in Istanbul whole districts, to new residence permit applications where the share of foreign residents is high. In its statement of 16 July 2023, Göç İdaresi listed Başakşehir among eight Istanbul districts closed in October 2022.

In 2026 the picture is unclear. Some law firms report that applications with Başakşehir addresses are generally being accepted again; others still list the district as closed. As of November 2026, we have found no official notice from Göç İdaresi reopening it. Owning a home does not open a closed address: the closure notices contain no exception for owners. Our guide to districts open for residence permits explains the rule and how to check an address.

The closure does not stop a foreigner from buying in Başakşehir. It only affects whether that address can be used for a new residence permit. For the property route, the home must also be worth at least USD 200,000; our residence permit guide has the full rules.

"If a client is buying in Başakşehir for a residence permit, the first thing we check is the neighbourhood on the title deed, not the name of the project. The rules for this district have changed more than once since 2022, so I ask clients to confirm the address with the migration office before they pay a deposit. For citizenship that question does not arise; the valuation does." — Cenan Can Tekin

Başakşehir and citizenship

The closed-district rule concerns residence permits. It is not one of the conditions for Turkish citizenship by investment. For citizenship, the property must be worth at least USD 400,000 in the title deed, in your bank transfers and in an official valuation, and a no-sale commitment for three years is annotated on the title. A resale property also has to pass a check of its title history. Our guide on new-build vs resale for citizenship explains each route, and our citizenship page the whole process.

Three of the five projects below start above that threshold, so in Başakşehir a citizenship purchase can also be a home the family will use.

Examples from our listings

Five projects on our listings show the range in Başakşehir:

Ebruli Başakşehir, on Olimpiyat Boulevard between the Olympic Stadium and the City Hospital. 728 apartments from 1+1 to 5+1 in 16 blocks, built in partnership with Başakşehir Municipality and under construction. From USD 280,476. The site lies where the Ziya Gökalp and Başakşehir neighbourhoods meet, so check which neighbourhood is on the title if you need a residence permit.
Luxera Nevbahar, in Kayaşehir next to the Samlar nature park. A finished low-rise complex of 199 apartments, 2+1 to 4+1, with occupancy permits from August 2025. From USD 451,763.
Mansion Başakşehir, six four-storey buildings near Kayaşehir station, 2+1 to 4+1, with handover planned at the end of 2026. From USD 567,000.
Ebruli Kayaşehir, on Emlak Konut land a short walk from the municipal building. 289 apartments and duplexes, 2+1 to 4+1, which the developer describes as ready to move into. From USD 639,597.
Tane Villas, a gated compound of 18 detached 5+1 and 6+1 villas north of Kayaşehir. From USD 1,315,000.

See all current projects in Başakşehir.

Before you buy in Başakşehir: checklist

You know the neighbourhood (mahalle) on the title deed, not only the project's name.
If you need a residence permit, you have checked that address with the Istanbul migration office before paying a deposit.
If you are buying for citizenship, the price, your bank transfers and the official valuation each reach USD 400,000.
You have walked from the building to the nearest M3 or M11 station and timed it.
For a resale flat, you know the building's age and have seen the compound's latest yearly budget and service charge (aidat).
For an off-plan unit, you have the building permit, the planned handover date and the developer's record of finished projects.
You have compared the price with recent sales in the same compound, not only with asking prices online.

Frequently asked questions

Is Başakşehir a good area to buy property in Istanbul?

It suits buyers who want a family home in a planned compound, with metro access to the coast and the airport. It suits less a buyer who wants to walk to the historic centre or the Bosphorus. Judge each project by its walk to the metro and its compound.

Can foreigners get a residence permit in Başakşehir?

Başakşehir was closed to new residence permit applications in October 2022, according to the last official statement from Göç İdaresi in July 2023. Some applications are reported to be accepted again in 2026, but there is no official notice reopening the district. Check the exact address with the migration office before you buy.

Can I get Turkish citizenship by buying in Başakşehir?

Yes. The closed-district rule does not apply to citizenship. The property must be worth at least USD 400,000, confirmed in the title deed, your bank transfers and an official valuation.

How do I get from Başakşehir to the airport?

By the M11 metro, which has stations at Kayaşehir and İbn Haldun University and has run the full length from Halkalı to Istanbul Airport and Gayrettepe since 20 June 2026.

Is Başakşehir far from the centre?

It is in the north-west, outside the old city. The M3 metro takes about 39 minutes from Kayaşehir to Bakırköy on the coast, where you can change to Marmaray, and the M11 runs east to Gayrettepe.

If you are considering a home in Başakşehir, our Buyer Guide explains how we work, or contact us.

This guide gives general information and is not legal or investment advice. Residence permit rules, transport schedules and prices change; check the current position for your address and your plans before you buy.