Country Wide Urban Transformation Starts

6500 building in 35 provinces demolished simultaneously.

The urban transformation that will influence all Turkey within the scope of the Prime Minister Erdoğan backed Disaster Law started despite the objections from NGOs and professional chambers.

The first stage of the demolition took place in the Esenler district of Istanbul which was announced as an area under disaster risk. Hundreds of people gathered to watch the "demolition".

"We do not want to wreck homes, we want to build safer homes. We will save the citizens from the 60 years burden; we will not base the security of life and property on their victimhood." said Prime Minister Erdoğan before he pushed the button to start the demolition of the building which was decorated with balloons.

Neighborhood dwellers collected petition signatures

The transformation project foresees the construction of 10-15 storey luxury apartment buildings with shops on their ground floor.

The first step of the project involves the demolition of 1200 buildings where 5 thousand people reside; of which one quarter of them are tenants. An uneasiness and uncertainty prevail in the neighborhood.

The dwellers of the neighborhood predominantly migrated in the 1970s from Eastern Anatolian cities and they hold shared titles for their building lands rather than flat ownership. During the year their houses are being measured and they are told that there will be a transformation without given any proper information.

After the confirmation of the project in the Cabinet of Ministers, the residents of the neighborhood are individually invited by the municipality authorities.

The official in the municipal office in the neighborhood stated that a 100 m2 apartment has an equivalent value to an 80 m2 apartment in the new buildings. Those who demand a larger apartment will pay 1 thousand liras per square meter and the cost will be paid in ten installments. According to the accounts, the property owners will receive 500 liras per month as rental support and the tenants will receive only 1000 liras for moving expenses. So far 96 people signed the project contract.

Those property owners who hold the shared land titles gathered last night with the reason that they do not trust anyone and no one pays attention to them. They collected petition signatures addressing the municipality.

They demand:

"The acceptance of the title deeds of the parcelled property, the written notification of the pledges, the display of the actual project not its models, and collective meetings."

The project does not involve the 1 thousand tenants who are inhabited in the neighborhood for nearly 30 years. Tenant Fatma says "they say us, you voted for Erdoğan and now he kicks you out. But I trust in our Prime Minister. I don't believe that he will make us victims".

But not everyone agrees with her.

"We don't know what will happen to us"

Haydar Aksu (the auto mechanic who works next to the demolished building) I spent 50 thousand liras for my shop. I have 9 employees. Nobody asks about our situation and nobody pays attention. Nobody says anything about if they will demolish the building tomorrow or a month later.

Nuray Kara (the owner of a apparel sweatshop in the district) I live here for 35 years. I have two children and my husband is sick. I run the shop. I have 10 female employees. We have a certain order. There is no security for us in the project. I have no idea what will happen to me. I want to know who I am dealing with. First they should give us our title deeds so we can build our own houses. They will exile us and bring the rich to the neighborhood. That's what's gonna happen."

Hatice Alabaş (Worker in the apparel sweatshop): I have been a tenant in this neighborhood for 18 years. I will lose both my house and my job. We will be left homeless. They just tell us to go to wherever we can. They should impose a limit to the rent prices, if the rents increase to 1 thousand liras how can I pay that rent? 80 percent of the neighborhood are low-income inhabitants. We know the owner of the grocery shop, when we don't have money we can buy food on just trust and feed ourselves. How can I buy food from supermarket on trust? (NV)