Istanbul buyers have spent years watching domestic property prices rise in lira while the real value of the holding did not keep pace in dollar terms. That experience is the whole reason for the Dubai conversation. A Dubai freehold is priced in a currency pegged to the dollar, produces rent in the same currency, and carries no annual property tax, so the return is measured in a unit that does not erode between valuations.
Rules that apply to every buyer in Turkey are covered in the full Turkey buyer guide. This page covers what is different in Istanbul.
The difference is the unit of account. A Dubai property is priced and let in a currency pegged to the US dollar, so both the capital value and the rent hold their value in dollar terms, and the UAE charges no annual property tax and no tax on rental income. Istanbul may still produce strong lira returns, and many buyers hold both, treating Dubai as the dollar-denominated part of the portfolio.
Both are property-linked but they work differently. The UAE grants renewable residence visas rather than citizenship, with a two-year investor route and a ten-year Golden Visa tier based on published property value thresholds. There is no citizenship-by-property programme in the UAE. Eligibility is assessed by the UAE authorities on the property value and title status.