Eviction process begins at 'hoarder house'

In the Mustafa Kemal Paşa neighborhood of Avcılar, Istanbul, complaints arose among neighbors after it was alleged that Yıldız Yetgin, who lives in a four-story building, had filled two of the four apartments owned by her family with trash and waste materials. Following complaints from apartment residents regarding the intense odor, the relevant authorities took action.

On April 16, the Avcılar District Health Directorate, the Directorate of Food, Agriculture and Livestock, municipal officials, and police teams visited the building to conduct inspections. During the checks, supported by the fire department, it was confirmed that trash, cardboard, and old items had accumulated, particularly in two of the apartments. During approximately five hours of work carried out by cleaning crews, three truckloads of waste were removed from the apartments and taken to a designated area.

During the operation, the court temporarily halted the eviction following an objection from the homeowner, Yıldız Yetgin. With this decision, the removal of waste could not be started in another remaining apartment. However, following the acceptance of a new appeal regarding the process, it was decided to continue the clearing of the trash-filled apartments.

During the incident, the apartment owner, Yetgin, requested that the process be carried out in the presence of a female police officer and expressed concern that her personal belongings were being discarded. The neighbors emphasized that their demands were not directed at the individual, but rather at hygiene and peace of mind, stating that rats were roaming the building and that the foul odor and waste were negatively affecting their lives.

Claiming that she had difficulty housing her tenants and that her dowry items were being thrown away, Yıldız Yetgin said, "Even my tenants were victimized, my door was broken. I am being pressured because I am a woman; I am even thinking about moving to another house now."

While a five-day period granted for the removal of packed boxes and bags in one apartment continues, no further accumulation of trash was found in the other apartments for the time being.

Neighbors also reported seeing trucks loaded with trash and materials moving away from the house recently. The final resolution regarding the state of the trash will depend on the court decision expected in the coming days.