Making toilets free of charge hits a legal snag
Osmangazi Municipality's decision to make the Şehreküstü Mosque toilets free of charge has been blocked by the judiciary. Following an application by the current operator of the facility, the court issued a stay of execution.
İHA
Osmangazi Mayor Erkan Aydın made the Şehreküstü Mosque toilets free of charge to ensure the public has free access to basic needs.
While the decision to make the public toilets free—which had drawn significant backlash due to the 10 lira fee—brought smiles to citizens' faces, this decision in the public interest has hit a legal snag.
As a result of a lawsuit filed by the current operator of the toilet, the Bursa 3rd Administrative Court issued a stay of execution. This decision has temporarily halted the process of making the Şehreküstü Mosque toilets free of charge.
BASED ON A CLAUSE IN THE CONTRACT
Stating that they do not find it right to charge money for a human need, Osmangazi Mayor Erkan Aydın said, “An occupancy protocol was signed between the previous administration and the operator, and the right to use the toilet was granted.
Based on the clause in the contract stating that ‘the use of the space may be canceled when deemed necessary by the municipality,’ we canceled the contract and decided to make the toilets free of charge.
The stay of execution issued by the court has caused our implementation to pause. We respect the court's decision.
We will continue our struggle to ensure that public services are free and accessible through the necessary legal channels,” he said.