10 On The Weekend is a weekly (-ish) feature in IMI, the concept of which is simple: Each time, we ask the same ten questions of a different IMI Pro, letting readers get to know the interviewee on a more personal and informal level than they might during the ordinary course of business.
Our guest this week is Arda Sardag, Founding Partner at Sardag Law Firm
How do you spend your weekends?
My weekends are a balance between high energy and strategic reflection.
Saturday usually starts with exercise or a long walk by the Bosphorus, followed by meetings with friends or informal business dinners.
Istanbul has a vibrant social scene, and I enjoy being part of it; new restaurants, private gatherings, and sometimes late nights. Many meaningful connections in our industry begin outside the office.
Sunday is slower; family time, planning the week ahead, and reviewing long-term strategy. For me, weekends are not an escape from business; they’re where ideas and relationships are built naturally.
What are your top three business goals this year?
My three goals are to:
- Position Turkey more strategically in the global investment migration conversation, not as a volume program, but as an undervalued asset.
- Expand our international referral network, especially in Asia and the Gulf.
- Develop structured solutions that combine Turkish citizenship with long-term mobility planning, including export-based and corporate structures.
What’s your biggest business concern right now?
Market perception.
Turkey remains one of the most mispriced citizenship programs globally, yet it is often misunderstood. My concern is not demand, it is narrative. Controlling the narrative is critical in our industry.
Which book is on your nightstand right now?
The Secret by Rhonda Byrne.
Not necessarily for the “law of attraction” narrative, but as a reminder of how mindset shapes execution. In investment migration, belief often precedes structure; clients move because they believe in optionality, stability, and future positioning. Psychology is as important as policy.
How and when did you first get into the investment migration industry?
I entered the investment migration space in 2018, when I founded Sardag Law Firm.
Initially, we worked on real estate transactions for foreign investors entering the Turkish market. Over time, this evolved into a broader practice covering Turkish Citizenship by Investment, residency solutions, cross-border structuring, and strategic advisory for internationally mobile clients.
Over the past seven years, we have positioned ourselves at the intersection of law, investment, and global mobility.
What was your proudest moment as a service provider?
Recently, we successfully secured a Turkish Green Passport for one of our clients through a structure that is still largely unknown within the industry.
The process required careful legal positioning, corporate alignment, and strict compliance with export criteria. Seeing it approved reinforced something I strongly believe in: Innovation in this field is not about shortcuts, but about understanding the framework better than others.
That achievement gave me both pride and renewed motivation.
Which investment migration market development has surprised you the most in the last year?
The increasing sophistication of clients.
Today’s investors are not simply buying passports; they are building jurisdictional portfolios. They compare tax exposure, exit strategies, resale liquidity, and geopolitical risk. The market has matured rapidly.
If you could go ten years back in time, what business decision would you change?
I would have internationalized earlier.
Our industry rewards early global positioning. I focused first on building depth locally. In hindsight, I would have built cross-border alliances sooner.
What investment migration industry personality do you most admire?
I respect professionals who prioritize long-term credibility over short-term volume.
This industry is built on trust. Those who protect institutional integrity and maintain disciplined positioning are the ones shaping its future.
If all goes according to plan, what will you be doing five years from now?
Leading a multi-jurisdiction advisory structure connecting Turkey, the Gulf, and Asia.
I see our firm not only facilitating citizenship but designing mobility strategies that integrate investment, trade, and corporate structuring at a much larger international scale.
