Striking question from IYI Party's Turhan Çömez to the Istanbul Provincial Health Directorate: Who is seizing the nation's property again?

Çömez announced on social media that construction machinery had arrived at the Family Health Center (ASM) located within a grove in Ataşehir, which serves 20,000 people. Asking why construction machinery had shown up at the door of the Family Health Center, which serves 20,000 people and is located within a grove donated by a citizen, Çömez stated the following in his post:

“Who is seizing the nation's, the state's property again?”

“Such a disgrace can only happen in one-man regimes! A magnificent 60-decare grove in one of the most beautiful places in Istanbul, in İçerenköy. A citizen donates this grove to the state on the condition that a 'health center' be built. The Ministry of Health spends millions of TL to build a 'Family Health Center' here. Finally, the construction is finished last summer, and doctors and nurses excitedly start working here. The ASM serves exactly 20,000 people. Six months pass, and one day construction machinery shows up at the door of the ASM, and a person believed to be a company employee gives instructions to the staff, saying, 'You need to get out of here!' Meanwhile, a few containers are brought together elsewhere to build a makeshift ASM, and patients are directed there. Who knows who is behind it? Who is seizing the nation's, the state's property again? Such an outrage—it shouldn't happen, but let's say it did—in a civilized country, that government wouldn't last a day! We are bringing the issue to the Parliament's agenda! It is a pity for this country!”

Following Çömez's post, the Istanbul Provincial Health Directorate made a statement regarding the matter. Stating that “it has become necessary to make a statement to inform the public correctly regarding some allegations that have come to the agenda on social media,” the Directorate included the following expressions in its statement:

“Investments aimed at increasing health service delivery capacity in our province are being carried out in a planned and uninterrupted manner. In the Ataşehir district, health services are currently provided with a 310-bed capacity in our hospital, which serves on an area of approximately 180 decares. In order to strengthen the health infrastructure, a 1453-bed capacity main hospital and a 99-bed capacity Emergency Hospital have been designed, and the tender process has been completed. Mobilization site planning has been carried out within the scope of the construction of the 99-bed capacity Emergency Hospital, which will be started as a priority. During this process, it was determined that the prefabricated İçerenköy Family Health Center (ASM) building, which had been moved from a different area in the Ataşehir district and established within the hospital campus, coincided with the planned construction site.

“No disruption occurred”

Upon this situation, a new 5-unit Family Health Center was built by the contractor company free of charge in a suitable area within the institution's garden that does not coincide with the construction site. The new ASM building has been planned to be modern, useful, and suitable for health service delivery, and it has been put into operation without any service interruption. There has been no disruption in our citizens' access to health services; no grievances have been caused for our patients and employees. Health services continue to be provided in an uninterrupted and effective manner.”