Crisis grows in TOKİ housing: Citizens unable to get their money back

Following the lottery process completed in recent months as part of TOKİ's social housing projects, problems regarding refunds have now begun to be discussed. It is alleged that citizens whose names were not drawn in the lottery and whose applications were unsuccessful are having difficulty getting their application fees back.

COMPLAINTS RISING FROM ALL FOUR CORNERS OF TURKEY

Many citizens from different cities across the country, primarily Adana, Istanbul, and Silivri, are trying to reach authorities through various platforms. While it is stated that the number of people whose applications do not appear in the system is not yet clear, the number of those encountering the warning "There is no application associated with this T.C. identity number" at ATMs or during online transactions is increasing, even though payments were made through public banks such as Halkbank and Ziraat Bank.

CHP Bursa Deputy Hasan Öztürk brought the grievances to the agenda of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey (TBMM), requesting a response from the Ministry of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change to resolve this issue. Öztürk stated, "That infamous software, which ignored numbers over 1 million in the lottery draws, has now started to swallow citizens' money. The complaints are clear; the citizen deposited their money through state banks like Halkbank and Ziraat, they have the receipt in hand, and their application appears on e-Devlet. But when they go to the ATM, they receive the warning 'There is no application associated with this T.C. identity number.' What kind of lack of seriousness is this? Is the citizen's 5,000 lira being held hostage in the coffers of TOKİ or the banks?"

'THERE IS A SYSTEMIC PROBLEM IN THE REFUND SOFTWARE'

Öztürk stated that it is unacceptable for victims to be treated as if they had never applied and for their fees not to be refunded. He pointed out that after citizens dreamed of becoming homeowners with hope, they are now chasing the money they deposited. "People waited with hope to become homeowners, they didn't win the lottery; now they are chasing their own money. Istanbul, Adana, Silivri... The same complaints are coming from all four corners of Turkey. You cannot get out of this by calling it a systemic error. If there is no application in the system, who did these people deposit the money to? If there is an application, why are you not making the refund? This is eyeing the last penny in the pockets of low-income citizens," he said.

GRIEVANCE AWAITING RESOLUTION

The CHP deputy reiterated that they would follow the process, stating, "I said it before, and I say it again: TOKİ's lottery and refund software has collapsed. There is a major systemic irregularity here. It is unacceptable that the citizen's money is not being refunded. The Ministry must immediately solve this 'ghost application' problem, and the citizens' money must be refunded as soon as possible. No one should think this nation is ownerless."

All eyes are now on the steps the Ministry of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change will take regarding these grievances.