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Deniz Yavuzyılmaz alleges Tuzla scandal: Preparations underway to issue title deeds for 154 illegal villas on park land

Deniz Yavuzyılmaz has claimed that there is an attempt to legalize villas built on a park and recreation area in Tuzla through a zoning change.

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CHP Zonguldak Deputy Deniz Yavuzyılmaz has raised new allegations regarding 154 villas and 4 commercial structures that he states were built in an area designated as a park and recreation zone in Tuzla, Istanbul.

Yavuzyılmaz argued that there is an attempt to grant title deeds to these structures by reclassifying the area as residential through a zoning plan amendment.

In a statement on his social media account, Yavuzyılmaz alleged that the Tuzla Municipality transferred approximately 75 thousand square meters of land to its municipal company, Tuz-Yap, in 2023 to settle debts. According to Yavuzyılmaz, a decision was subsequently made to develop the area as a "hobby garden."

Deniz Yavuzyılmaz stated that CHP members in the municipal council at the time added a caveat to the zoning plan, noting that the area "could not be used for anything other than a hobby garden" and "could not be subject to private ownership." Despite this, he alleged that Tuz-Yap built 154 undocumented villas and 4 commercial structures on the park and recreation land in Tepeören.

In his statement, Yavuzyılmaz also claimed that some of the structures were transferred at low prices through "sales promise contracts" and said that the process moved to a different stage after the 2024 local elections. According to Yavuzyılmaz, following the change in municipal administration in Tuzla, a zoning amendment was brought to the agenda to convert the area into residential land.

Yavuzyılmaz stated that on July 8, 2026, three CHP members of the Zoning Commission opposed the plan change, ensuring the proposal was rejected. Recalling that Tuzla Mayor Eren Ali Bingöl resigned from the CHP and joined the AKP on August 1, 2026, Yavuzyılmaz suggested that the title deed process for the illegal structures could be brought back to the agenda.

Giving away public property is a crime!

— Deniz Yavuzyılmaz

In his statement, Yavuzyılmaz drew attention to the public nature of the park and recreation area, arguing that the land must be reclaimed. There has been no public response from the Tuzla Municipality or the relevant company regarding the allegations as of yet.