Topic: How not to get killed / robbed in Istanbul ? (Read 111 times)

Thank you! But it's for real estate so it has to be that way (cash) unfortunately.

Thank you for your answer! Problem is that according to turkish law you have to (as a foreigner) to change the money to TL to get "Döriz Alim Belgesi" otherwise you won't be able to get the Tapu.
And also it has to be crypto -> cash (without banks), there are a couple of exchange places in e.g. Istanbul according to https://www.bestchange.com/. Are this type of places really trustworthy?

But yeah it's always a risk to travel with alot of cash I guess, not sure how to organize some type of security without getting ripped of by them.   

Simple advice: Create a Redotpay.com account and transfer your crypto to the Redotpay account. Spend like you are using any debit/credit card in Turkey. If you need cash, withdraw from any ATM that have USD cash-out option. You can exchange USD with enough Turkish Lira any time through an exchange office. This is the best possible way for a foreigner / tourist.

On the other hand, if you have a residency or work permit you can open a bank (or PAPARA; a payment provider) account and spend your Turkish Lira income with the debit card.

As a reminder, no one carries cash in these days because of the high inflation. If you want to eat out, it costs 500-600 TL which is at least 3 bills/banknotes. It's not a good idea to carry lots of paper in your wallet unless you do some illegal stuff.

I agree with the friend.

By the way, I also told the friend that I could help him if he wanted in a private message. If it is convenient, he can reach me through the contact numbers in my signature.

If there is a chance that you can open Turkish bank account, do it. Ask banks. You probably at least need short term residence permit for Turkish bank account but I'm not sure maybe there is an other way. Than you can sign up to one of local exchanges like Btcturk or Paribu (they're pretty safe and you need KYC). You can exchange your crypto to TL at these exchanges, withdraw to your bank account than transfer it for the property. It will save you both money, time and you won't need to trust third parties. Turkish person can do it for you but yes you need someone to trust in that case.

If there is no way for you to get bank account, I still have some advice: I don't recommend fiat $ to TL conversion through bank, they have very bad exchange rates most of the time (sometimes %3-4 less than you can get from Btcturk or Paribu) Some banks has okay rates but most famous banks will rip you off. It is also possible to talk with banks beforehand, they probably can offer you better rates for big amounts of money. Don't accept their rates upfront,  research. If you still need to do that irl, there are irl money exchanges with good rates e.g. in Fatih, Istanbul. Try to avoid touristic places. But this will also bring some security problems, as you need to carry big amounts of cash. Need to have kind of security for this I think.

Hey guys!

I know the thread is in english (sorry for that) but I am looking for some real advice as it's kinda hard to trust ppl in real life.
I am looking forward for some cash transaction and acquisition of real estate in Istanbul.
The problem is it involves crypto to fiat (change office) and then fiat $ to TL (at the bank) and in the end TL & $  (at the third place) for the property.

So in the end, it's a lot of traveling with a lot of money?
I know that people do this transactions, some suggested to hire some protection (well they can rob me too...).

So I am not sure how to approach this "issue".
Would be gratefull for any tips regarding the situation.

Çok teşekkür ederim!