İstanbul's 'Cuba neighborhood' resists 'commercially driven' urban transformation

"Our home is our motherland." 

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Residents of Tozkoparan, a neighborhood in İstanbul's European-side district of Güngören, have been resisting urban transformation projects since the neighborhood was declared an "earthquake risk zone" on April 21.

Two months ago, the residents of Tozkoparan, and the neighborhood known as "Cuba (Küba) Neighborhood" by locals, were notified by the Güngören Municipality to leave their homes. Since then, they have been banging pans at night, staging protests and making campaigns on social media.

The notifications say the residential buildings should be abandoned within 30 days and if not, they would be left without electricity, water and natural gas.

On January 15, a court ordered the stay of execution of the decision declaring the neighborhood a risky zone. However, locals are still worried, not being sure whether the decision will save their homes.

Commercial concerns

Residents of the neighborhood say that it was declared a risky zone not because of seismic hazard but of commercial concerns. Over the past 15 years, the government has faced similar criticism in many urban transformation projects, which are dubbed as "rental transformation projects" by critics.

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Ömer Kişir, the head of the Tozkoparan and Nesih Özmen Neighborhoods Solidarity Association, says that Tozkoparan is a "neighborhood of laborers that has supported the socialist struggle."

"I have been living in this neighborhood for 50 years. Cuba is a neighboring quarter of Tozkoparan. But it has always integrated itself with Tozkoparan.

"The people of the neighborhood, as laborers, have supported the socialist struggle ... Neighborhood relations can be felt in every aspect of the neighborhood. In Cuba, this is at an even higher level. There are people from every part of Anatolia. Cuba and Tozkoparan neighborhoods are a mosaic of Anatolia.

"They tried to portray the neighborhood as a place that is totally abandoned, about to collapse, where there could be explosions and fires, landslides and floods, and where buildings are about to collapse.

"On April 21, they declared it a risky zone. They put notifications on the doors. We are not against urban transformation but they are trying to indebt people who are at a certain age and try to live with 2,000 lira [for a month] in an open-ended way.

"Recently, there have been older people who had a heart attack because of that. As a result of their examination, our engineer friends say that the neighborhood is not one that can be considered a risky area.

"In Tozkoparan, buildings that are in a bad condition aren't declared a risky zone. However, this area, which is close to the Merter commercial area, is tried to be evacuated by the Güngören Municipality.

"They regard the people as a 'bothering element' and remove it on the pretext of urban transformation. Capitalism is cutting down the tree when it can't sell its shadow. The pandemic is a fairytale, there is rent. Not the pandemic or earthquake, but rent-seeking will kill us.

"No information is provided as to how much people will be indebted, where they will give homes to people and what kind of housing assistance they will provide. They want to make people sign such a contract.

"The İstanbul Metropolitan Municipality said it would stand with us but it didn't. The CHP's [the main opposition party] Güngören District Organization is playing ostrich. Institutions that should be with the people have their heads in the sand. We will continue to struggle and resist."

"What will happen to us after leaving our homes?"

Serpil Karakuş, who has been living in the neighborhood since she was born, also says that they are not against urban transformation but "rental transformation."

"They tried to kick us out of our homes. We also want our homes renewed, to live in nice homes. But, according to what will we hand over our homes? What will happen to us after that? What are we going to rely on and leave these homes? This is the matter for all residents of the neighborhood, we want a fair contract.

"Today, there are about 100 flats for rent in all of Güngören. The number of homes to be abandoned is 900. Rental prices start from 1,900 lira ... They say, 'We'll cut your electricity.' We are worried that we will fall into the same situation with other neighborhoods ... There is a ban on weekends, when will they look for a flat?

"The old women are crying all the time. There are no ignorant, unconscious people here, we are aware of everything. This place is close to Merter; it shows that they are doing this for rent.

"We have united and filed lawsuits for suspension of execution ... We will continue to struggle until we get our fair share."

"The state isn't here for us"

Makbule Yalçın, a resident for 30 years, says, "We live in nature. Our children can freely play on the streets. When we leave Tozkoparan, İstanbul feels gloomy to us because the buildings are congested. We have had many troubles since the urban transformation project.

"At a meeting, a few days before, a director of development said to us, 'If you don't leave, we will pull down the buildings on you.' They tell us that the buildings will collapse, but will the buildings we move to be sound?

"Now, does this state protect or disregard us? ... The state should have been here for us but it isn't."

Currently, it is not clear what will happen to Tozkoparan and Cuba neighborhoods. The neighborhood community wants their voice to be heard and asks for support from those who can. (İK/SO/VK)