Taurus of Galata, a real estate investment fund located in Istanbul, serves private and institutional investors from all over the world. The company specializes in renovation and construction of high-end residential and mixed use properties in downtown Beyoglu and downtown Kadikoy districts of Istanbul. Taurus offers the opportunity to live in style in one of the world's premier metropolises, Istanbul. Brief introduction about the scope of services provided and information on some of the assets owned by Taurus can be accessed via their corporate website. www.taurusofgalata.com

The international mortgage crisis, that has also affected the real estate industry in Istanbul, was not able to change the pace of development in Istanbul's Beşiktaş and Şişli districts, according to brokers working the region. Both neighborhoods continue to attract investors as they did in the past years. The sales price of a single luxury apartment in a new project developed in the region has surpassed $6.5 million, while second-hand house prices have also increased immensely.

Turkey surpasses European countries with its investments in outlet centers, in which manufacturers sell their products directly to the public through their own stores.

Turkey ranks second among European countries right after the United Kingdom, with 19 outlet centers with 382,781 square meters leasable area. In the U.K. there are some 29 outlet centers with 474,881 square meters leasable area. Italy ranks third with 12 outlet centers, while France ranks fourth with 11.

The stagnation in property sales as a result of the increase in bank interest rates has led construction firms to apply different financing models similar to the “bill system” to spur demand. Some of the big companies offer various installment options up to 24 months with at zero interest while others offer interest rates below 1 percent and longer installment options. The firms aim to see off the stagnation period by granting attractive opportunities instead of partnering with banks. Banks, on the other hand, reflect the increase in costs as a result of the global mortgage crisis on the interest rates, and prefer to be cautious toward new loan applications.

Hacı Ömer Sabancı Holding, Carrefour's partner in Turkey, is seeking to double sales in its retail business to YTL 7 billion ($5.5 billion) by the end of 2010, according to the head of Sabancı's retail group. Sabancı is planning to invest YTL 600 million in its retail businesses, including its supermarket chain with Carrefour, its low-cost grocery chain with Spain's Dia and its electronics store TeknoSA by 2010, Haluk Dinçer told reporters in Istanbul Friday.

All of the newly created public spaces will have tree planting, seating, and opportunities for public art and access to public conveniences. It creates 1,500 new jobs. Forum Çamlik is expected to attract over 7 million visitors each year. Given its wide retail offer and entertainment facilities, the center will be a very important shopping destination and attract visitors from Denizli and the neighboring cities. Multi Turkmall is the developer and Multi Investment is the owner of the project.

Cordea Savills, the international property fund manager, intends to launch a Turkish opportunistic fund. The Cordea Savills Turkish Property Ventures Fund will invest in development opportunities, primarily shopping centers and residential property, with a target return of 20% per annum.

Turkey has a fast-expanding economy with more than double the forecast annual average GDP growth of the Eurozone. It has a large and growing population that continues to undergo rapid urbanization, creating demand for modern retail, commercial and residential property. With education standards having increased to Western European levels, candidature for European Union membership and stabilizing inflation, Turkey is well positioned to enjoy rapid development and is attracting substantial investor interest.

Amplio, a company growing rapidly and founded on May 2007 for hotel investments in Turkey, has made its 2007 consequences and 2008 goals evaluation meeting at the Feriye Restaurant. Amplio’s chairman Alaeddin Babaoglu said, they’ve setted out for absolute hotel investments on every 81 provinces of Turkey.

REAG - Real Estate Advisory Group, the International Real Estate Consulting firm, has opened in Turkey. The Group has offices on 3 continents, in 22 countries – America (United States and Canada), Asia (China, Japan and Thailand) and Europe (United Kingdom, Czech Republic, Hungary, Germany, Greece, France, Italy, Poland, Romania, Russia, Portugal and Spain). The Turkey office opened on 15 March 2008.

The shopping center stock in Turkey is set to increase by around 60%* over the next two years according to the latest Turkish Retail Market Report from Jones Lang LaSalle and Alkas Consulting. The shopping center market in Turkey has seen significant development in the last two years; the number of centers has increased by 33 since the beginning of 2007 and totalled 188 in February 2008. An additional 66 centers are currently under construction and a total of 84 are planned.

Ece Group, that has invested approximately 1 billion USD over the last 8 years in Turkish shopping center industry, has started the construction of Marmara Park Shopping Center in Beylikduzu. Marmara Park is being built on the plot in Beylikduzu where Tatilya - a well-known entertainment park - used to be located. The shopping center projected to be completed by 2010 will also be home to a German home electronics retail chain entering the Turkish market for the first time. The center will have 100,000 square meters of leaseable space and is expected to attract 1 million visitors per year.

Mia Park project, which was constructed on an area of 12,000 square meters in Istanbul's Kurtköy neighborhood, offers prices staring from YTL 134,000 ($100,000). Including a total of 139 apartments, the Mia Park project has allocated an area of 10,000 square meters to green spaces and social facilities.

Delmar Yapı is starting construction of a new residence project in Istanbul's Kurtköy district after the Elite Life Residence project in the same region.

One of the major discussions in last month's local papers of Marmaris was the high drop in the real estate market in the past three years. The dimensions and reasons of the drop were the main topics. The reports showed that there is pessimism toward the future and the real estate agents were desperate. However, some agents have opposed what the papers put in front of the readers and expressed their optimist views for the market.

The Şirehan Shopping Complex, constructed by the Rönesans Shopping Centers Investment Group, one of the world's leading construction companies, with an investment of $18 million, opened last Friday.

Acteeum Group, a privately-owned real estate development and asset management company, over the weekend launched “Ancora Samsun,” its first project in Turkey, which includes a five-star hotel and a shopping center. The company announced details of the project at a press conference in Samsun, a Black Sea city 415 kilometers north of Ankara, over the weekend.