Muğla Province, home to the popular resorts of Bodrum, Marmaris, and Fethiye, remains Turkey’s most expensive region for buying a home. As of June 2026, the average price per square meter there reached 85,182 thousand Turkish lira, or approximately $1,850.
The average price of a residential property in Muğla was 11.074 million lira, which is equivalent to approximately $240,000, according to the June report by Emlakjet and Endeksa.
Istanbul took second place in terms of price per square meter, with an average of 63,788 thousand lira. The average property in Turkey’s largest city is valued at approximately 7.017 million lira.
Antalya ranks third, where a square meter costs an average of 55,264 thousand lira, and a property costs about 6.079 million lira. Next are Izmir, with 52,677 thousand lira per square meter, and Çanakkale, with 52,634 thousand lira.
Aydın also made the list of regions with the highest average property prices. The average housing price in the province, which includes the resort towns of Kuşadası and Didim, reached 6.782 million lira, with a price per square meter of 50,238 thousand lira.
High prices in coastal regions are driven by the concentration of resort real estate, limited land supply in the most sought-after locations, the development of premium projects, and demand from buyers in other regions of Turkey and abroad.
Nationwide, the average price per square meter of housing at the end of June was 40,944 thousand lira, while a standard property with an area of approximately 125 square meters cost 5.118 million lira, or roughly $111 thousand. Over the past year, prices in the national currency rose by 22.3%.
However, when adjusted for inflation, Turkish housing became 7.6% cheaper over the year. A real decline was recorded in all 30 of the country’s largest provinces. In Istanbul, inflation-adjusted prices fell by 5.5%; in Antalya, by 4.1%; in Ankara, by 3.5%; and in Izmir, by 9.5%.
The average payback period for rental investments in Turkey is estimated at 13 years. In Muğla, it reaches 18 years; in Antalya, 16 years; in Istanbul, 12 years; and in Ankara, 11 years. The longer payback period for resort properties is due to the high purchase price relative to long-term rental income.
In June 2026, 129,979 residential properties were sold in Turkey, which is 15.8% more than a year earlier. The number of mortgage transactions increased by 72.1% to 25,993.
At the Farnborough International Airshow (United Kingdom), BAE Systems signed a licensing agreement to support local production of the Light Gun artillery system in Ukraine, according to the company’s press office.
“The licensing agreement will provide access to technical information and support from BAE Systems necessary for the manufacture of the first test gun. This strategic partnership will facilitate the development of a modified version of the L119 light gun for use by the Armed Forces of Ukraine,” the statement said.
It is noted that the L119 is a 105-mm light howitzer developed by BAE Systems—a highly effective and proven towed artillery system valued for its mobility and reliability.
The agreement is based on BAE Systems’ long-term support for Ukraine and its collaboration with Ukrainian industry to strengthen the country’s sovereign defense capabilities. It reflects a shared commitment to developing a sustainable industrial base capable of providing long-term support to the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
“A robust defense capability depends on reliable strategic partnerships in the industrial sector. This agreement combines BAE Systems’ expertise in artillery with our strategic defense partner’s knowledge of Ukraine’s operational needs to support the development of sovereign defense capabilities where they are most needed. Supporting Ukraine is not just about supplying equipment. It is also about working together to build the industrial resilience, skills, and capabilities needed to ensure long-term defense capabilities,” said Giles Ambrose, Director of Engineering, Technology, and Strategy at BAE Systems.
According to “Serbian Economist”, the Hungarian government plans to allocate 3.55 trillion forints, or about 9.8 billion euros, by 2035 for the modernization of the national railway network.
Hungarian Prime Minister Péter Magyar and Minister of Transport and Investment Dávid Vitézi presented the program on July 22 at the Rakospalota-Újpest station in Budapest. Authorities are calling it one of the largest railway projects in the country’s history.
The program is designed to be implemented in several phases. Its main objectives will be to improve the reliability of transportation, reduce travel times, reconstruct tracks and stations, modernize the rolling stock, and develop international rail routes.
The government intends to ensure competitive rail service to all administrative centers in Hungary, modernize regional lines, and expand commuter service around Budapest and other major cities. Specific areas of focus will include the development of freight transport, the establishment of a rail link to Budapest Airport, and the integration of national and urban transportation systems.
It is planned to allocate 1.1 trillion forints from EU Cohesion Funds and 700 billion forints from the European Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF) to implement the program. An additional 400 billion forints is planned to be raised through loans from the European Investment Bank, with a similar amount to be secured through concession projects. Approximately 950 billion forints will be allocated to projects under the next EU budget cycle for 2028–2034.
The government plans to purchase at least 35 new InterCity trains and 42 commuter electric trains, as well as begin renovating the country’s ten busiest train stations. The average age of MÁV trains and HÉV commuter trains is currently about 43 years, and 42% of the rail network is subject to significant speed restrictions.
On major routes, the government aims to increase the average speed to 100 km/h. Certain sections are planned to be upgraded to accommodate trains traveling at speeds of 160–200 km/h.
In Ukraine, 73,292 thousand births and 259,853 thousand deaths were registered from January through June 2026. Thus, for every newborn, there were nearly four deaths, whereas in the first half of 2025, the ratio was one to three.
This was reported by OpenDataBot on July 22, citing data from the Ministry of Justice of Ukraine.
The number of births in the first half of the year fell by 16% compared to the same period in 2025, when 86,795 thousand newborns were registered in Ukraine. Compared to the pre-war period, the birth rate has nearly halved.
On average, about 12,000 children were born each month in Ukraine throughout 2026. Ten years ago, the average monthly figure was about 32,000.
Boys accounted for 51% of newborns, and girls for 49%.
According to estimates by “Intergal-Bud,” the Darnytskyi district has both the highest level of development activity and the highest concentration of housing near metro stations. This is stated in a study published by “Intergal-Bud.”
Approximately 70,000–74,000 apartments are located within a 15-minute commute of metro stations in the district. In the Holosiivskyi district, this figure is estimated at 53,000–57,000; in the Shevchenkivskyi district, 45,000–48,000; in the Obolonskyi district, 40,000–42,000; and in the Sviatoshynskyi district, 33,000–35,000 apartments.
The Darnytskyi and Dniprovskyi districts together form the largest cluster of modern residential development on the Left Bank. Analysts cite its advantages as a significant volume of new supply, lower apartment prices compared to central districts, proximity to the metro, and well-established commercial and social infrastructure.
An additional factor is the wider selection of properties available for purchase through government mortgage programs.
“Intergal-Bud” operates in the Ukrainian residential real estate market and develops projects in Kyiv and other cities across Ukraine.
Darnytskyi District, DEAL, INTERGAL-BUD, KYIV, NEW CONSTRUCTION, REAL ESTATE
Oil prices are rising sharply on Wednesday afternoon, with the price of Brent crude surpassing the $95-per-barrel mark during trading for the first time since early June.
As of 1:31 p.m., the price of September Brent futures on the London-based ICE Futures exchange rose by $2.83 (3.11%) to $93.84 per barrel. Earlier in the session, prices reached $95.47 per barrel.
WTI crude oil futures for September delivery on the New York Mercantile Exchange (NYMEX) electronic trading platform have risen by $2.69 (3.19%) to $87.03 per barrel.
Both grades are trading at six-week highs amid fears of new disruptions to oil supplies from the Middle East.
The U.S. and Iran continue to exchange blows, with the U.S. military attacking targets in Iran for the 11th consecutive night. Last night, the U.S. military attacked the Iranian port cities of Chabahar and Konarek, located on the coast of the Gulf of Oman, as well as the major industrial center of Tabriz.
In addition, the Yemeni Houthis have announced a blockade of Saudi Arabian ports and are threatening to attack tankers carrying Saudi oil in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait. This strait is a key point on one of the two main routes through which Saudi Arabia exports oil to Asia; the other runs through the Strait of Hormuz.
“We believe that the price of oil will fluctuate between $80 and $90 per barrel depending on the news,” said Jay Hatfield, CEO of Infrastructure Capital Management. “If the Red Sea is indeed closed, prices will jump above $100 per barrel, but we are not seeing that happen yet.”
Meanwhile, the American Petroleum Institute (API) reported yesterday that U.S. inventories rose by 2.6 million barrels last week. Analysts surveyed by Trading Economics had expected a decline of 1.5 million barrels.
The API receives data from refinery operators, oil storage facilities, and pipeline operators on a voluntary basis. Data from the U.S. Department of Energy on oil inventories, which is more important to the market, will be released on Wednesday at 5:30 p.m. local time.
Brent, MIDDLE EAST, OIL, SUPPLY, WTI
