Retiring to Türkiye from the UK — the parts your IFA didn't cover.

Your UK State Pension freezes the day you move

Türkiye is on the FROZEN list. The State Pension you start drawing as a Türkiye resident does not receive the annual triple-lock uprating — it stays at the rate that applied when you first claimed (or when you moved, if you were already claiming). Over a 20-year retirement this is the single largest cost most UK movers don't model. The UK-Türkiye Social Security Agreement (1959, in force) covers some matters but does NOT cover State Pension uprating. Private and workplace pensions are unaffected by this rule.

GOV.UK "Country comparison tool: State Pension if you retire abroad" — verify before relying.

HMRC SRT — the split-year and tie tests, in the year you move

The Statutory Residence Test is day-count plus ties. In the year you move you'll usually claim split-year treatment so HMRC only taxes you on the UK portion. The traps: keeping a UK home you visit more than 90 days, working in the UK more than 30 days, or staying tax-resident in both jurisdictions. Türkiye taxes worldwide income once you cross 183 days here. The UK-Türkiye double-tax treaty handles the overlap but you have to actually file for it.

HMRC RDR3 (Statutory Residence Test) · the official guidance, not a summary.

Private insurance gets expensive after 70 — model it now

Bring it from the UK and you'll be sticker-shocked. Private health insurance in Türkiye is generally cheaper than the UK equivalent, BUT it scales steeply with age: a fit 67-year-old pays roughly half what a 75-year-old pays for the same policy. Pre-existing conditions are often excluded. Once you have a residence permit, SGK (the Turkish state system) becomes accessible for ~₺2,000/month for retired non-employed residents — it works for primary care, A&E, and most major surgery at state-affiliated hospitals (which includes some of the best in the country).

Your UK licence is valid for 6 months — then you exchange

After 6 months as a Türkiye resident you must convert your UK licence to a Türkiye one. The exchange is straightforward (no driving test) — eye test, health report, translated UK licence, fee. Do it inside the 6-month window; after that you'd need to take the full Turkish theory and practical test. Right-hand drive cars: don't bring them. Türkiye drives on the right; the resale value of a RHD car here is essentially nil.

Renting first, buying second — at every age, every time

Every UK couple who buys before living a year somewhere ends up either selling at a loss or regretting the neighborhood. Rent for 12 months in two areas you're considering. The mistake we see weekly: buying an apartment in a hot summer resort town and discovering it's a ghost town November–March, with the heating bills that come with that.