Allegations of $1 billion zoning rent in Tuzla: 669 duplicate transfers made
Journalist Bahadır Özgür has brought striking allegations to the agenda regarding zoning practices that have been debated in Tuzla for years. According to the claim, during the AKP era, zoning rights were transferred multiple times over the same parcels, creating approximately 520 thousand square meters of additional construction area, resulting in a rent worth approximately $1 billion.
12punto
Özgür made striking allegations on his social media account regarding zoning practices that have long been a subject of debate in Tuzla.
At the center of the debate is the "transfer of development rights" practice. Accordingly, municipalities grant property owners whose land remains in public service areas such as roads, parks, schools, or hospitals in zoning plans the opportunity to transfer their unused development rights to other parcels.
Özgür stated that it is alleged that during the AKP administration in Tuzla, parcels within this scope were collected by individuals close to the former mayor, and claimed that development right transfers, which can normally only be done once, were carried out multiple times over the same parcels. The post included the claim that unfair benefits were provided to the individuals in question through this method.
"The problem emerged when the administration changed"
Bahadır Özgür stated that these practices came to the agenda with the change of the Tuzla Municipality administration following the 2024 local elections. According to his post, the new municipal administration prepared a zoning plan amendment to resolve the irregular zoning transfers made in the past. However, it was reported that this proposal was not found appropriate by the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (IMM).
The journalist claimed that the assessment prepared by the IMM Inspection Board included the view that resolving the issue through zoning increases is contrary to legislation and that the authority in this matter lies not with the municipality but with the relevant ministry.
Claim of "669 duplicate transfers, 520 thousand square meters of additional construction area"
According to the information in the post, the IMM Inspection Board detected 669 duplicate development right transfers in Tuzla. It was claimed that approximately 520 thousand square meters of additional construction area were created as a result of these transactions and that the economic equivalent of this is at the level of approximately $1 billion.