Building constructed as municipal hall looted: Millions of liras in public loss incurred
In the Torbalı district of İzmir, a building designed as a municipal hall but left unfinished has been looted by thieves and turned into a ruin. The sight of the building, which was 70 percent complete after millions of liras were spent on it, being left to its own devices is heartbreaking, and the waste of public funds has drawn widespread criticism.
İHA
The building in the Tepeköy neighborhood of Torbalı district, which was designed as a Torbalı Municipality service building, is in a pitiful state that saddens those who see it.
The building, for which the tender was held in 2017 and which remained unfinished after the contractor went bankrupt, has become a target for thieves. The structure, which has 12 thousand 500 square meters of indoor space, consists of 5 floors including the basement and ground floor, and had 70 percent of its rough construction completed, has been virtually ransacked by thieves.
The frames at the entrance of the building were removed, air conditioners were stolen, and its windows were broken. Thieves, who reached the floors by punching holes in the walls, dismantled and stole everything of value in the building.
MILLIONS OF LIRAS IN PUBLIC LOSS INCURRED
Millions of liras in public loss have been incurred in the building, which has also turned into a den for prostitution and a hangout for alcoholics. The damage caused by it remaining idle, alongside the millions of liras spent on its construction, has laid bare the waste of national wealth.
Reacting to the situation, a citizen named Halil Öztürk (70) said, "It is essential that it be finished now. This is our property. It is being built with money coming out of your pocket and mine. It should be completed as soon as possible."
A citizen named Erkan Portakal (73) also stated that thefts are occurring, that the building should be completed for whatever purpose it is intended to be used, and that they are saddened by its current state.
It had previously been announced that the building, which has become a never-ending saga, would be converted into a dormitory with a capacity of 285 students.