Imagine Sharazade of the 1001 Nights dancing exotic belly dance in a mystical palace while you are eating Turkish delights, washed down with the aroma of strong Turkish coffee with your business partner while talking about a new business venture in the oldest and most exotic empire in the old world. How can we even begin telling you about Turkey?

Turkey is a jewel whose civilization is older than the ancient Greeks and has been part of the world's richest empires since the dawn of civilization. It's been the meeting point of the Persian empires and the nations of the East and the Western empires since the beginning of civilization.

Culturally, it is a Mecca that represents the migration of over 5000 years of human cultures merged in a city that has every major religion and society and nation living under one roof.

Economically, it presents as a powerhouse that links the trade routes of the Middle East and Central Asia, such as Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, and Russia, with European centers such as Greece, Malta, and the Balkans.

But this is not why Mundo has chosen Turkey. Today, Turkey has become a foreign resident's utopia for doing business. It created a new citizenship by investment program. It has also developed very attractive investment incentives for foreigners via one of the lowest corporate tax regimes in Europe. Also, due to its size and independence from the United States and Europe, its banking system is the most vibrant and powerful in the Middle East. For Latin American, Venezuelan, Chinese, European, and African businessmen and family offices, Turkey presents an amazing location to have an operating company base. Here is why:

• Turkey provides immediate citizenship for all those who buy a property from $250,000. Such citizens receive unrestricted access to the Turkish economy. This is one of the world's best CBI programs. Mundo has partnered with Turkey's top development group to provide you with an array of excellent investment properties which bring you citizenship and residency by investment
• Turkish companies allow tax optimization, which is amongst the best in Europe at 20% corporate tax. Plus, in some cases, you can have zero corporate tax in free zones (Turkey has over 30 such free zones). Additionally, it has zero tax in branch and representative offices and subsidiaries.
• Turkey is militarily, politically, and economically independent from the United States and Europe. Therefore, its banking system is completely sovereign and not influenced by the political policies of these countries. It all means that Turkey determines its own policies about who can bank there. Of course, as a citizen, you have even more options.
• Turkey's economy is booming in the tourism, manufacturing, construction, and trade sectors. It is one of the fastest-growing and powerful economies in Europe, so investment and business in Turkey are profitable.

Mundo's country rating is essentially a freedom index whereby our team of specialists rates a combination of freedoms which include freedom from violence and personal attacks, financial freedom from high taxes and other government levies, and business freedom from government interference.

Political stability: 7 

Turkey is a country with considerable political stability. The country has been ruled by the same political class since 2003 and especially by the former Prime Minister (2003-2014) and afterward, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Its sustained economic growth and accurate foreign policy towards Europe and the Middle East have enabled it to enjoy stability enough to improve the country. 

It is precisely this stability that has allowed the government to overcome its tensest moments, such as the failed coup d'état of 2016. 

In turn, Syria is currently the epicenter of a conflict between Turkey, the Kurds, and the United States. This incursion is the third one the Turkish army has led in Syria since 2016 and has already caused at least 60,000 displaced people, yet, it only affects a small part of the country. Thus, if you have a business venture in Istanbul, this should not worry you too much.

Turkey has over 100 free zone options which allow companies to operate 100% tax free on local and domestic profits. A Free-zone company has the same advantages of an offshore zone, except that it is recognized by the OECD as an operating company and is not blacklisted. Therefore, you have the best of both worlds. Consider that the free zone system is ideal for large and medium companies, and has numerous advantages including:

Zero taxation.

A very strong and independent banking system.

The ability to invest 50% of profits or funds in passive income, such as stocks bonds and other investments.

No sanctions or blacklists.

It can be used as a base for IT development, internet and high-tech.

The free zone is ideal for Latin American businesses that suffer difficulties opening in Europe, America or other zones. When combined with a Turkish passport the combination is ideal and offers full protection for your funds.

Apart from the fact that Turkey is an independent and powerful nation with a vibrant economy and has one of the lowest tax rates in Europe, there are several other lesser-known secrets that our Mundo corporate and accounting experts have identified for using Turkey as part of your tax optimization strategy. Let us look at several of these:

Turkey recognizes the concept of a branch office or subsidiary or representative which means your foreign company can register a Branch office utilizing Turkey and its banking system as a base. The branch office will pay taxes (only 20%) on its corporate profits in Turkey from Turkish sources, but will not pay taxes on non-Turkish sourced profits. This means you gain the benefits of a powerful banking and corporate system which is fully compliant with all OECD requirements whilst having tax optimization.

If your expert knows the Turkish Free zone regime like our experts do, you will find that Turkey has one of the largest collection of Free zones of any modern country and most of these give 100% tax exemption (that's correct, 100%) if you establish a company with employees that do the right activities. Imagine having a company in one of the most powerful countries in the Middle East with excellent banking and paying zero tax.

Turkish corporations can reduce their corporate tax by 50% if they operate in one of the many areas of preferential services which include IT, engineering and high technology, and many others. That means a 50% tax reduction for some areas whilst being considered in an OECD country with full compliance.

Turkey recognizes the concept of bearer shares via a joint-stock company. This gives full confidentiality and transferability.

Turkey represents a robust an powerful banking system which is politically independent from Europe, The United States, China and Russia, and even the Arab world, which makes it a gateway for trade between these powers this means that having an account in a Turkish Bank is a sort of political risk insurance policy for your money.

It is not a secret that Covid-19 increased the risk of banks freezing money and governments are increasingly using political sanctions to justify bank freezing. Turkey does not bow to this pressure and is itself a powerful OECD partner. So, as long as you play by Turkish rules to hold your money, you can be relatively safe from interference. In other words, Turkish banks don’t need or rely on correspondent banking relationships with the other superpowers and therefore present an ideal banking diversification strategy.

 As an example, there are sanctions from the US Federal Reserve or limitations by China. For family offices, this presents an ideal area for fiscal diversification via holding bank accounts through their branch, subsidiary or corporate offices. The Turkish Banking system has become even more open to foreigners recently by offering one of the world’s top citizenship by investment options whereby you can buy a property and acquire a Turkish passport (see our passport section) and have your personal and corporate bank account as a Turkish Citizen.

Due to Turkey’s position as an independent political, military, and trading power its banking system cannot be bullied by the other superpowers, so your bank account and corporate interests in turkey are safe from black or grey listing. With the right corporate structure and the right Turkish bank account, you have the advantages of a white-listed OECD member with substance whilst having some of the tax optimization opportunities that the traditional offshore countries used to provide. With the Citizenship package you also gain the kind of banking protection that only citizens can access. It is the best of all worlds in one of the oldest trading and banking civilization on Earth.

Can you imagine having a passport that gives you access to 114 countries in the world from the thirteenth largest economy in the world, free entry to the states of the European Union, and the possibility to apply for the American E-2 visa? What if we told you could have all that for a $250,000 investment?

Turkey's Citizenship by Investment program, announced in 2016, has become one of the most popular programs in the world. What makes it so attractive? That for just a $250,000 investment, you can apply to become a Turkish citizen.

Yes, as you read it. By investing US$ 250,000 in a real estate property, you can enjoy all the legal benefits of Turkish citizenship, plus having a profitable, robust investment.

Among the benefits, you’ll access the world and the possibilities of doing good business in the Turkish market, with the possibility of exporting products to Europe and applying for an American investment visa.

And the real estate market in Turkey is booming, so the $250,000 investment won’t be burnt money, but a secure investment with stable returns for you.

Moreover, it has something many Caribbean CBIs cannot rival: access to the American E-2 Visa. Further, it comes in the same price range as these programs, but real estate investments in Turkey are generally safer than in the Caribbean.

Finding a thriving market to move your company, a safe place for your family with good schools for your children, and a passport that protects you in the rest of the world is a decision that can change your life.

And because we know the enormous implications this decision can have for your quality of life, your family's peace of mind, and the well-being of your business, we want to guide you through the process.

If that wasn’t enough, Mundo has partnered with one of the top real estate developers in Turkey to offer you the possibility to gain access to some of the best projects that will bring high returns for you. This will simplify your application process as we will handle both parts: the investment and the application.

Read and learn the details about how to apply for the programs to become a Turkish citizen that this beautiful country has to offer.

Today´s world is full of uncertainties and having a second nationality can save your life. If you are looking for a plan B and you are wondering which is the best citizenship option to ensure your future, then you should definitely consider Turkey. In Mundo Offshore we do not hesitate for a second to recommend this country to investors from all over the world.

Turkey has the best of both worlds: an ancient culture and a modern country open to the world. The modernizing impulse of the last years is a contrast with conservative Europe or slow Latin America.

Being a Turkish citizen will put you in the center of the world. With one foot in Europe and one in Central Asia, you will have access to 110 countries without the need to process a VISA. You will be living in one of the most dynamic and active markets on the planet. With the safeguard of a tolerant society, no matter what your creed or origin is, you are here to do business.