Tanju Özcan's 'central government is the biggest beneficiary' statement: The 'let municipalities be discredited' lie

Özcan stated that the fair market values for property taxes are not determined by municipalities, saying, "Unfortunately, sources close to the government are spreading such a lie so that municipalities are discredited.

Technical experts are involved in determining these fair market values. The central government, through land registry offices and tax offices, is the biggest beneficiary of these increases in fair market values," he said.

Bolu Mayor Tanju Özcan stated that municipalities do not have the authority to determine property taxes.

Stating that everyone "thinks municipalities determine property taxes," Özcan spoke as follows:

"Everyone thinks that municipalities determine property taxes. No, this is not true. Property taxes are determined every 4 years by a commission of 9 people that convenes according to Article 49 of the Tax Procedure Law. When this board determines these fair market values, real estate appraisal experts are used as expert witnesses. They come up with a price. Our municipality does not have the authority to independently increase or decrease this commission, which is determined by law, or the fair market values it appraises. Furthermore, mayors are not members of this board. I do not know what price this board has determined for Bolu. I only know that it is a decision taken unanimously. The municipality has only 2 representatives on this 9-person board.

When fair market values increase in property tax, tax offices and land registry offices earn the most money here. Because we take a 1 per thousand share of the fair market value determined for buildings as property tax, but the land registry office takes 2 per thousand from both the buyer and the seller, totaling 4 per thousand. In other words, it takes 4 times what the municipality takes. This is excluding what the tax office takes. Municipalities also transfer a portion of property taxes to the Cultural and Natural Heritage Fund.

Municipalities do not determine property tax fair market values. Unfortunately, sources close to the government are spreading such a lie here so that municipalities are discredited. Technical experts are involved in determining these fair market values. The central government, through land registry offices and tax offices, is the biggest beneficiary of these increases in fair market values."