Controversial project for Riva's coast and forests: Kalyon Holding revealed as the force behind the 1,000-residence 'Ion Riva'

A large-scale housing project planned for the Riva region in Istanbul's Beykoz district has sparked public debate. The approximately 84-hectare 'Ion Riva' project, slated for development in an area on the Black Sea coast featuring forests and natural habitats, has drawn backlash from environmental organizations and local circles.

The project, which involves international architectural firms, plans to establish a settlement of approximately 1,000 residences in the area. While international architectural firms such as Snøhetta, Bjarke Ingels Group, and MVRDV are involved in the project's master plan, various architectural teams from Turkey have also been included.

The most debated aspect of the project is the investing company. It has emerged that the developer of the project is Kalyon Cities, a real estate development company under the Kalyon Holding group. Kalyon Holding, known for its proximity to President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, is among the major construction companies referred to by the opposition as the 'gang of five'.

REACTION FROM ENVIRONMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS

Environmental organizations and urban advocates, stating that Riva is one of Istanbul's most important ecological regions with its natural coastal areas and forest texture on the Black Sea, have reacted to the project.

Criticisms state that the region has been opened to development through gradual zoning plans for years and that this latest project will accelerate that process.

Some of the criticism has also been directed at the Republic of Turkey Ministry of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change, which played a role in the project process. Environmental organizations and some local initiatives are objecting to the project, arguing that nature conservation principles were not sufficiently considered during the Ministry's planning and approval processes.

FOREST, RIVER, AND COASTAL ECOSYSTEM DEBATE

Although the project's promotion states that the settlement is 'designed within an ecological landscape where forest, river, and sea intersect,' criticisms are intensifying over the fact that Riva's natural coastal ecosystem and forest areas are coming under the pressure of development.

Urban planners and environmental activists warn that the large-scale projects that have increased in Istanbul's northern belt in recent years could irreversibly alter coastal and forest ecosystems.