ANKARA - Turkey's top court has annulled the provisions of a law allowing foreign nationals to buy land and property in the country, which had been harshly criticised by the opposition and the nationalists, a court official said Monday.
The court found unsatisfactory the restrictions and legal guarantees stipulated by the law, which was adopted by parliament in July 2003, the deputy head of the court, Hasim Kilic, was quoted by the Anatolia news agency as telling reporters.
The annulled law had been taken to court by the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP), which argued that allowing foreign individuals or companies to purchase property in Turkey could harm national interests.
The law will stay in force for the next three months in order to allow parliament time to adopt new rules to fill the vacuum triggered by the court's decision, Kilic added.
He noted that the court ruling did not mean that "foreigners cannot buy anything in Turkey".
Turkish newspapers have recently ran several stories on the increasing number of foreigners who want to purchase land or houses in Turkey, which is seeking to join the European Union.
Some reports have said that companies from Israel, a chief ally of Turkey, had acquired land in the southeast of Turkey, which is home to large water resources, thus triggering criticism among nationalist circles.
03/14/2005 12:31 GMT