The Investment Map of the Future | #07 DATA NEEDS LAND TOO: SITE SELECTION FOR DATA CENTRES
The Digital Economy Has a Physical Address
Banking transactions, cloud systems, public services and artificial intelligence applications can be accessed remotely. Yet these services rely on servers, networking equipment, power systems and cooling infrastructure. Data centres are physical facilities designed to keep these systems operating securely and without interruption.
Traditional office or commercial property criteria are therefore insufficient on their own when assessing data centre real estate. Alongside views, visibility and employee access, power capacity, telecommunications connections, redundancy, cooling and resilience to natural hazards can become more decisive.
At Anadolu Properties, our question is this: which property characteristics does the growth of the digital economy make essential for economic use?
Announced Capacity and Schedule for the Gölbaşı Data Centre
Ground was broken for Türksat’s new data centre in Gölbaşı, Ankara, on 22 July 2026. The official announcement envisaged a 35,300-square-metre campus, 6,300 square metres of white space, 33 MVA of installed power capacity, six data halls, high-performance computing areas and office capacity for approximately 200 people. Existing data centre capacity is intended to increase in phases.
In Türksat’s announcement dated 8 October 2026, Deputy Minister of Transport and Infrastructure Ahmet Hamdi Atalay stated a capacity of 30 MW for the centre under construction. The July announcement envisages bringing the first phase into service in the first quarter of 2028.
As of 12 October 2026, the description supported by official announcements is a data centre investment under construction. The 2028 date is an announced target, not a completed opening.
33 MVA and 30 MW are different electrical quantities and should not be used interchangeably. Nor should the announced campus size be treated as a verified cadastral parcel area. Drawing real estate conclusions without clarifying the scope of the technical data would be inappropriate.
Source: Türksat — Gölbaşı Data Centre groundbreaking announcement, 22 July 2026
Shared Infrastructure in the Public Sector
At the 6th e-BEYAS Symposium in Ankara on 8 October, Atalay called on public institutions to use the shared infrastructure being built in Gölbaşı instead of investing in separate server rooms. This approach points to a possible change in how public institutions meet their data centre needs.
However, the call does not mean that all institutions have decided to relocate or that the centre’s capacity is already fully committed. Decisions on use and capacity utilisation require separate verification. The start of construction does not establish that the facility is operating at full capacity or that new commercial demand has emerged nearby.
Source: Türksat — Call for public institutions to use shared infrastructure, 8 October 2026
Not Every Plot Is Suitable for a Data Centre
Consider two hypothetical plots of the same size, for example 20,000 square metres each. The first is close to a main road but has limited access to a high-capacity electricity connection. The second is in a less visible location but has access to the required power capacity and independent fibre routes.
A traditional commercial property assessment might favour the first plot. For a data centre investor, the technical conditions of the second could be more relevant. This is not an assessment of actual plots; it illustrates how the intended use can change site selection.
The central question is not simply whether a building can be constructed, but whether it can be operated securely and without interruption for years.
Physical proximity to a power line is not the same as capacity that can be allocated. A nearby fibre line alone does not prove that redundant connections over independent routes are available. Technical suitability should therefore be verified using information from the relevant authorities and operators.
The Digital Site Selection Threshold
In this instalment, we propose an assessment framework that we call the “Digital Site Selection Threshold”.
The Digital Site Selection Threshold comprises the minimum physical, technical, legal and operational conditions that a property must meet to be suitable for investment in data centres and high-performance digital infrastructure.
This is not an official certification or a standard valuation score. It expresses Anadolu Properties’ analytical approach. A plot should not be assumed to have economic value for this use before it meets the technical suitability threshold. We examine the threshold under six headings.
1. Power Connection Feasibility
Can the required power actually be supplied? Is the existing grid sufficient, or is a new substation or transmission connection needed? What are the investment cost and lead time for the connection? The assessment should focus on the capacity that can be provided for the plot, rather than proximity to a line.
2. Fibre Connectivity and Telecommunications Redundancy
Are multiple reliable connections available over independent routes? Could a single cable failure interrupt the entire service? The independence of the routes should be examined alongside the number of connections.
3. Cooling and Environmental Infrastructure
The heat generated by servers must be removed safely and efficiently. Climate, cooling technology, water requirements, energy efficiency and environmental permits should be assessed together. Data centres do not all consume the same amount of water; requirements vary with the cooling technology used.
Source: Uptime Institute — Water use, site selection and facility design
4. Physical Security and Resilience to Natural Hazards
Earthquake hazard, ground conditions, flood risk, fire safety and physical protection should each be examined. General assessments at provincial or district level do not replace technical investigations at plot and building level.
5. Zoning and Legal Suitability
A property’s location in a commercial or industrial zone does not automatically establish its suitability for data centre use. The applicable planning provisions, development conditions, use classification, authority opinions and required permits should be examined for the specific plot.
6. Operational and Expansion Capacity
Can the facility be expanded in the future? Can space for new technical equipment be created and power capacity increased? Can maintenance, security and operational requirements be met? Long-term usability is as important as the feasibility of the initial investment.
Distinguishing a Tangible Investment from Its Impact on the Surrounding Market
Construction of a data centre in Gölbaşı demonstrates the presence of a tangible digital infrastructure investment at a particular location. It does not prove that all plots in the area are suitable for data centre use or that nearby homes, commercial properties and agricultural land will appreciate in value.
The investment is taking place within Türksat’s existing corporate campus. We therefore cannot assume that new demand for privately owned property will necessarily arise nearby. The physical investment can be verified through official documents; its impact on the private property market should be assessed through new investment decisions, changes in use and completed transactions.
Reading Türkiye’s Digital Investment Map
Cloud services provided by large-scale data centres are among the priority investment areas in the Ministry of Industry and Technology’s HIT-30 programme. This framework shows that data centres are also part of high-technology investment policy.
However, an investment category eligible for support is not the same as a confirmed project in a particular city. Türkiye’s digital investment map should be based on projects whose locations are known and whose physical implementation can be verified.
Source: Ministry of Industry and Technology — HIT-30 investment areas and calls
Technical Suitability Before Economic Viability
At Anadolu Properties, when analysing property for data centre use, we consider area, frontage, floor area ratio and access together with power capacity, fibre connectivity, cooling, security and operating conditions. We look beyond theoretical proximity to infrastructure to the ability to use it, as verifiable by the relevant authorities and operators.
Alongside construction progress at Gölbaşı, we will monitor the commissioning of the announced capacity, the phases of entry into operation and capacity utilisation. Our assessment will also consider whether independent new investments or actual changes in property use emerge in the area.
Our aim is not to present major investment announcements as real estate opportunities, but to understand which property characteristics new economic activities make important. Especially for readers assessing investments remotely, this distinction helps avoid confusing news of a project with the economic viability of a plot.
Real Estate That Can Support Uninterrupted Activity
The Gölbaşı Data Centre is a reminder that digital services need a physical location. Power, cooling, telecommunications and security requirements come together on a property. As data centres and high-performance computing facilities become more widespread, these characteristics may gain greater importance in the assessment of particular properties.
This transformation should not be expected to affect every region and every property in the same way. What matters to us is which physical conditions the growth of the digital economy makes essential, and whether those conditions can be verified for the specific plot.
Future real estate analysis should examine not only how many square metres a plot contains, but also how much uninterrupted economic activity it can support.
This article has been prepared for general information and research purposes. The Gölbaşı Data Centre is under construction; the announced capacity and service commencement dates are official project information and targets. Each property’s suitability for use, zoning status, connections, environmental conditions, costs and market demand must be assessed separately. The project should not be assumed to increase surrounding property prices.
Mustafa Yılmaz
CEO – Anadolu Properties
Europe–Türkiye Investment Bridge
