CHP and AKP hand in hand: Construction permit for İnciraltı on the fault line

The issue of zoning the İnciraltı region in İzmir's Balçova district has been a subject of public debate for a long time. The 1/100,000 scale environmental plan for this area, which had previously been protected from development through court rulings that blocked "rent-seeking" projects, has now been finally approved by the Ministry of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change.

The person who announced this development to the public was the CHP's Balçova Mayor Onur Yiğit, who had traveled to Ankara multiple times within his first year in office to meet with the Ministry to expedite the plans.

The new plan covers approximately 700 hectares of agricultural land, with 70 percent falling within the borders of Balçova and 30 percent within Narlıdere.

ANNOUNCED AS "GOOD NEWS," THANKED THE MINISTER

In a statement on social media, Onur Yiğit made the announcement, saying, "I want to share some good news with great excitement." He then thanked Minister Murat Kurum and used the following expressions:

"My dear fellow citizens, I want to share some good news with you with great excitement. An important turning point has been reached in the planning process of İnciraltı, which has occupied the city's agenda for many years, caused grievances, and is the apple of İzmir's eye. The 1/100,000 scale plans have been officially approved by the Ministry of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change. I wish this to be beneficial to all our fellow citizens who have been waiting for this news for decades, to our Balçova, to our İzmir, and to our country. The winner will be Balçova, the winner will be İzmir. On this occasion, I would like to express my gratitude to our Minister, Mr. Murat Kurum, and all ministry bureaucrats; to our İzmir Metropolitan Municipality Mayor, Mr. Cemil Tugay, who trusted us from the first day of the process and whose support we have always felt; to our İzmir deputies who supported this issue by viewing it as above politics; to our municipality's relevant bureaucrats; and most importantly, to all our fellow citizens who trusted us. Now, we will continue to work tirelessly for the 'Balçova of the Future'; we will proceed with the same understanding for the 1/5000, 1/1000, and Article 18 applications."

AKP-CHP COOPERATION

AKP İzmir Deputy Mahmut Atilla Kaya also described this decision as "good news" in a post on his social media account. Kaya stated that definitions for "Tourism Facility Area" and "Regional Park / Large Urban Green Area" were included within the scope of the plan. He included the following statements in his announcement:

"The environmental plan amendment for the area in İnciraltı, which was designated as a 'Tourism Facility Area' and 'Regional Park / Large Urban Green Area' in the 1/100,000 scale environmental plan, has been officially approved with the signature of our Minister of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change, Mr. Murat Kurum. Thus, İnciraltı has been planned as a 'Preferential Use Area'."

Kaya thanked AKP Chairman and President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Minister Kurum, and General Manager of Natural Assets Protection H. Abdullah Uçan, announcing that the process would be completed rapidly:

"We will meet this week at our ministry with Balçova Mayor Mr. Onur Yiğit, who was appointed by the İzmir Metropolitan Municipality and with whom we have been conducting negotiations with the Ministry to date, to ensure that the final opinions of the municipality's technical team are received. Accordingly, the work regarding the 1/5000, 1/1000, and Article 18 applications will be finalized rapidly by our Ministry."

CLAIM THAT 'ONLY 1/5 WILL BE OPENED TO ZONING'

Tayfun Karabulut, President of the İnciraltı Development Association (İNGEDER), which represents the property owners, claimed in a statement to Yeni Asır that the plan would provide multifaceted gains for the city:

"With this planning, İnciraltı will be opened to construction with a maximum of 3 floors, but this construction will cover only 1/5 of the region. With the remaining area planned as green space and public space, İzmir will gain another brand-new urban forest. The new roads to be built with the implementation of the plan will also save those who want to come to İnciraltı on the weekend from the ordeal of traffic. The realization of this plan will also economically develop the city. İzmir's dream of health tourism will also be realized with the new bed capacity. With the opening of the region to health tourism, the newly opened businesses will provide employment for 30,000 young people. Tourism, the environment, and the economy will win."

TMMOB AND PROPERTY OWNERS FACE OFF

The TMMOB İzmir Provincial Coordination Board announced that it would hold a press conference to oppose the construction. At the same time, property owners in İnciraltı gathered in front of the Architecture Center to express their reaction to TMMOB's stance.

Citizens tried to make their voices heard with signs reading, "Enough is enough, I want my rights," "I have been waiting for 3 generations," "My grandfather didn't see it, my father didn't see it, I want my children to see it," and "Public interest, not rent-seeking." A brief moment of tension occurred during the press conference.

TMMOB: 'INCIRALTI IS THE NATURAL HERITAGE OF THE PEOPLE'

In its statement, TMMOB emphasized that the region holds great importance in terms of nature and agriculture:

"The determination shown by changing authorities to sacrifice Inciraltı for rent-seeking, and the interventions aimed at turning Inciraltı into a tool for enrichment, have always been met with opposition from TMMOB."

The statement also highlighted the lagoon ecosystems, agricultural lands, and biodiversity in the region, stating that they must be protected as a whole. It was noted, "Inciraltı is the natural heritage of the people of Izmir and future generations, which we have fought for and managed to protect with great determination until today."

'WE MUST PROTECT AGRICULTURAL LANDS'

The TMMOB statement continued with the following remarks:

"Both the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry and court-appointed expert reports have repeatedly documented the absolute and planted agricultural lands in the region that must be protected. Given the negative conditions our country has reached regarding crop production, we must evaluate and protect the Inciraltı region as a whole. We will stubbornly continue our struggle for the common good of society."

Just as it has in the past, the TMMOB continues its struggle with a public-interest approach against any illegal acts and procedures that would lead to the plunder and destruction of İnciraltı, which holds special value for İzmir due to its natural environment and its status as a unique, high-quality agricultural area.

While previous plans to open the İnciraltı region to construction were canceled by court rulings, and while lawsuits regarding similar recent zoning plans are still ongoing in the İzmir Administrative Courts, initiating a new planning process in the area is the product of a fait accompli and a total plunder mentality.

'HAS ANYONE SEEN THE REGION ON-SITE?'

According to the report in Ege'deSonSöz, following the statement, CHP Council Member Hasan Uysal took the podium to speak on behalf of the local residents. Uysal emphasized the grievances of the local people regarding the region and stated the following:

"With the land cessions that will occur in the planned development, nearly half of the existing area will be gained for the city, and coastal arrangements, parks, and cultural, artistic, and sports facilities will be provided to İzmir and all its residents, creating public benefit. We want to state this in advance: we are the locals of this region, the people whose grandfathers, grandmothers, fathers, and mothers have put their labor into this land. We are the people who have carried the problems of this region on our backs for years.

I would like to specifically ask those who object to the plans: Have you examined the region on-site? Do you know the problems experienced in the region? The real rent-seeking is the transfer of lands from the local people into the hands of companies and capital. The real rent-seeking is leaving the local people at the mercy of giant corporations through partition lawsuits."

Dear chamber administrators, the local people cannot benefit from any public services. There are no roads. They cannot meet their most basic human needs such as tap water, heating, and sewage. Today, in the heart of İzmir, in Balçova, students are being bused to school. Because there is no public transportation service, our children are transported to the nearest schools by shuttle. With the planned developments, public spaces will be increased, and public benefit will be observed through schools, health centers, and parks. Public benefit is possible through planning."

CHP STANDS BEHIND THE MAYOR

Following the call by TMMOB İzmir Provincial Coordination Board Spokesperson Aykut Akdemir for a disciplinary process against Onur Yiğit, messages of support arrived from CHP mayors.

The mayors of Torbalı, Buca, Güzelbahçe, Narlıdere, Seferihisar, Menderes, and Çiğli expressed their support for Yiğit via social media.

CHP İzmir Provincial Chair Şenol Aslanoğlu also defended Onur Yiğit, stating, "Our Balçova Mayor, Mr. Onur Yiğit, who has been working devotedly for the people of Balçova since the day he took office, is a true son of the Republican People's Party, raised within our organization and molded by our party's principles."

Yiğit, for his part, emphasized that the current situation in the region causes problems due to a lack of planning, declaring, "Illegal construction and zoning crimes are being committed." He argued that he is trying to plan this area using the most appropriate method.

HEALTH TOURISM CONNECTION: PRIVATE HOSPITAL BACKGROUND

While the plans pave the way for "health tourism" investments, the private healthcare institutions where Onur Yiğit previously held management positions have come back into the spotlight.

Tayfun Karabulut reiterated the claims on this matter, stating, "With the opening of the region to health tourism, the new businesses to be established will provide a source of livelihood for 30,000 young people."

Onur Yiğit served as an executive in the establishment and operation processes of various healthcare institutions in Balçova. He was also a co-founder and executive of health tourism companies such as ASİSTANA and Medifema Global. He has also taken an active role in many commissions and working groups within TÜSİAD.

Yiğit's father, former CHP deputy Ali Yiğit, has also been active in the healthcare sector for many years. Ali Yiğit, who has been the founder of many private healthcare institutions since 1983 along with his wife Meryem Yiğit, carries out various activities in the field of "İzmir Health Tourism" within the İzmir Chamber of Commerce.