İmamoğlu's urban transformation critique: 'They transferred 85 billion dollars into someone's pockets'

Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (IMM) Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu criticized the urban transformation policies of previous administrations, noting that 85 billion dollars were transferred "into someone's pockets" through public land and zoning changes.

PUBLIC RESOURCES USED BY THE PRIVATE SECTOR

Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu also criticized the urban transformation strategies of previous administrations. İmamoğlu stated that as a result of transformation projects carried out on public lands in regions such as Zeytinburnu, Bahçelievler, Bağcılar, Esenler, and Gaziosmanpaşa, a large amount of public resources was used by the private sector.

According to İmamoğlu's statements, it was alleged that previous administrations carried out a resource transfer of 85 billion dollars within the scope of urban transformation projects by "using public lands for housing production or by granting extra zoning rights to some people."

He emphasized that this situation was used for private interests when it could have been spent to transform the cities' poor building stocks and improve the quality of life for the public.

THEY TURNED EMPTY SPACES INTO LUXURY HOUSING PRODUCTION

İmamoğlu stated that previous administrations "turned Istanbul's empty spaces into luxury housing production" and claimed that they would bring solutions to the problems of Zeytinburnu, Bahçelievler, Bağcılar, Esenler, and Gaziosmanpaşa in this way, but no progress was made in these regions.

Furthermore, İmamoğlu stated, "We could have transformed and strengthened the entire poor building stock of this city," expressing that the mistakes made in the past and the roots of economic difficulties lie in these practices. İmamoğlu said, "If we make mistakes, be ruthless. We were elected to protect your rights and your law."

The highlights of Ekrem İmamoğlu's statements are as follows:

“Are you going to build people's homes, or are you going to think about the pockets of a few people you love very much? When you handle the issue with a citizen-focused approach, these things work smoothly and problems are solved. In the last 15 years before us, they turned every empty space they found in Istanbul into luxury housing production under the concept of urban transformation. They showed new developments north of the TEM highway and said we would save Bağcılar and Esenler. Housing was built on the coast, and they said we would save Bahçelievler and Zeytinburnu with these. Zeytinburnu, Bahçelievler, Bağcılar, Esenler, and Gaziosmanpaşa are still standing where they are, but according to our calculations, they transferred 85 billion dollars into someone's pockets by producing housing on public land or by giving extra zoning rights to someone's land. With that 85 billion dollars, we could have transformed and strengthened all the poor building stock of this city we mentioned and secured our people's lives. Isn't it a shame? If we make mistakes, be ruthless. We were elected to protect your rights and your law, aren't we? These mistakes made from the past to the present and the difficulties they have put cities into, the conditions that make life difficult, are the root cause of some of the economic difficulties, unemployment, and poverty you are experiencing today.”

RESPONSE TO ERDOĞAN REGARDING 'HANDING OVER'

IMM Mayor İmamoğlu was asked about the words of President and AKP Chairman Erdoğan during his speech at the Public and Private Sector Investments Collective Opening Ceremony in Bitlis, where he said, “You can see what the opposition is chasing. For years, they tried to lecture us on the environment; now they are handing over Istanbul's most precious environmental treasure to money barons.”

İmamoğlu replied, “Go out to the street and say, ‘The President said this,’ and 90 percent of the people on the street will not believe it. Ask the opposite, and they will believe it.”

'LOW-LEVEL REMARKS'

Erdoğan also addressed İmamoğlu and CHP leader Özgür Özel, who attended the Paris 2024 Olympics, saying, "Although they promised in the squares, they kicked out thousands of municipal workers as soon as they arrived. Behind the mask of populism, a show-obsessed elitism emerged that enjoys itself in European capitals with the people's money. They have no agenda other than their own political future and their own personal interests."

For these comments, İmamoğlu said, “Very low-level remarks. I am not dignifying this with a response.”