Kemer Country

Golf-Course Villa Community in Göktürk

Kemer Country is a gated community of villas, townhouses and low-rise mansion-style apartment buildings set around a golf course in Göktürk, in the Eyüpsultan district on the European side of Istanbul. It was developed by Kemer Yapı ve Turizm A.Ş., founded by Esat Edin, and is widely described as one of the projects that introduced gated living to Istanbul. The concept dates from 1986, the first phase was completed in 1992, and the community has grown in phases since then, with later additions such as the Su Evleri villas.

Several designers have shaped Kemer Country. Archnet credits Esat Edin as planner, the US practices Duany Plater-Zyberk & Company and Torti Gallas worked on phases of the plan and housing, and Turkish architect Cemal Mutlu designed the social centre, the Kemerboyu Konakları and Lale Kasrı. About 4,000 people live in the community. Bosphorus Brokers is an independent licensed broker, not the developer or its sales office.

Location and Transport

Kemer Country lies on the edge of the Belgrad Forest, close to the Ottoman-era aqueducts that give the area its name (kemer means arch). Göktürk and neighbouring Kemerburgaz sit on the M11 metro line between Gayrettepe and Istanbul Airport, which has stations in both, so the airport and Gayrettepe are reachable by rail. At Gayrettepe the line connects with the M2 metro towards Levent and Maslak. By road, Göktürk connects to the TEM motorway via Kemerburgaz.

Homes and Amenities

Kemer Country is made up of named neighbourhoods built at different times. Ormanboyu was the first, beside the lake. The Kemerboyu Konakları, completed in 1997 and 1998, are lakeside mansion-style buildings with stone ground floors and timber bay windows. Other phases include Kemerbahçe, Lale Kasrı on Lale Tepesi, the highest point of the estate, and the Su Evleri, a group of 42 villas in 30 blocks. House types range from small apartment buildings to townhouses and detached villas, so sizes and layouts differ widely between phases.

The Kemer Golf & Country Club, established in 1995, is at the centre of community life, with the golf course, horse riding, tennis courts, a clubhouse, pools and a 28-room club hotel. Lale Kasrı has its own swimming pools, massage room and gym, and the lakes and green areas run through the residential groups.

Buying at Kemer Country

Buyers here are mostly families who want a house with a garden in a green, low-density setting, and people who value easy access to Istanbul Airport. Homes for sale range from apartments in the konak buildings to large detached villas, and prices depend heavily on the phase, plot and view. A purchase of at least USD 400,000 can qualify for Turkish citizenship by investment, subject to the unit's eligibility.

Kemer Country has a complex land and zoning history, including court cases over plans to build on parts of the golf course land, so each home needs individual checks. Bosphorus Brokers searches current resale homes across the phases, compares asking prices with recent sales, carries out due diligence on the title deed, zoning and occupancy permit (iskan) of the specific property, and handles the contract and the title deed transfer.

Renting at Kemer Country

Homes for rent at Kemer Country mostly suit families, including expatriates and people who travel often and want quick access to Istanbul Airport, looking for space and a garden. Leases are usually long lets of a year or more, furnished or unfurnished. We shortlist suitable homes, arrange viewings, review the lease, and help with the deposit, site dues and moving the utilities into your name.

Selling or Letting Your Home at Kemer Country

If you own a villa or apartment at Kemer Country and want to sell or rent out, we begin with a valuation based on recent sales and lets of comparable homes in the same phase. We market the property in six languages, organise and accompany viewings, and screen buyers and tenants. We prepare and check the sale or lease contract, and for a sale we manage the title deed transfer at the land registry through to completion.