Tender specifications spark controversy: Foundation land in Moda put up for sale

A 12,000-square-meter foundation-owned plot located in the Moda neighborhood of Kadıköy is being put up for tender in accordance with a decision taken by the Foundations Council.

According to a report by Halk TV columnist Bahadır Özgür, the land, which is owned by the Ali Osman Hüseyin Foundation—a managed foundation with no living administrators or heirs—has long been in public use. The area currently houses the Moda Mosque, as well as a children's playground, a parking lot, a neighborhood headman's office (muhtarlık), a family health center, a 112 emergency station, a sanitation services building, and a community garden. The area is also officially registered as a disaster assembly point.

TENDER TO BE HELD ON SEPTEMBER 11

The Foundations Council decided to put the area up for tender on July 16, 2025. It was announced that the tender will take place on September 11. According to the specifications, the plan is to build luxury housing in four blocks on the land.

Under the scope of the tender, the foundation is set to receive 50 apartments and 10,000 TL in revenue. The estimated value has been set at 1 billion 503 million 510 thousand TL.

PROTECTED SITE AND ZONING STATUS

The area where the tender is to be held was declared a 3rd-degree archaeological protected site in 2022. It is also noted that there are registered trees in the area. There is currently no zoning plan for the site.

REACTION FROM RESIDENTS

Following the announcement of the tender, local residents have launched a petition campaign to oppose the sale. Citizens want the area to continue to be used for the public good in its current state.

Meanwhile, assessments on some real estate websites have described the tender as the "last big opportunity," noting that it is almost impossible to produce new plots of land in Moda.