IMM statement on Belgrade Forest: 'Our struggle continues'

Riot police arrived early this morning at the Belgrade Forest, where the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality's (IMM) operating contract had expired but the legal process was still ongoing, to initiate an eviction. Signs belonging to the IMM were removed.

In a statement regarding the matter, the IMM said, "The operating authority of the Belgrade Forest was taken away from the IMM after many years. The IMM's request for a 49-year lease extension, made before the contract expired, was rejected. Despite the full fulfillment of the provisions arising from the 127-article lease agreement signed between the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry's 1st Regional Directorate of Nature Conservation and National Parks and the IMM Department of Real Estate, the contract was not extended."

'REQUESTED TO BE LEASED TO IMM AGAIN'

The statement continued as follows:

"The Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry's 1st Regional Directorate responded to the IMM's request by stating, in summary, that it was deemed appropriate for the IMM to continue operations until the nature parks and entrance gates were tendered and handed over, but that the request to grant the operating rights back to the IMM was not found appropriate. Following the rejection of its request without justification, the IMM reiterated its request based on public interest, citing Provisional Article 2 of the Forest Parks Regulation, titled 'Re-leasing to the Former Operator,' which was published in the Official Gazette and entered into force: 'Regarding forest parks whose operating rights have been leased according to Law No. 2886, if the former operator requests a new lease for the same place after the contract period expires, it may be leased again to the former operator by the General Directorate's proposal and Ministry approval via the bargaining method, provided that it is determined by a commission that the operator has fulfilled its obligations arising from the contract and legislation. The total contract period, including the previous contract period, cannot exceed twenty years.'

In the request, it was demanded that the operating rights for the Bentler, Neşetsuyu, and Kömürcübent Nature Parks and the Belgrade Forest Entrance Gates, which are under the responsibility of the Regional Directorates' Istanbul Branch Directorate, be leased back to the IMM in accordance with the Forest Parks Regulation without going to an open tender under Law No. 2886. The Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry's 1st Regional Directorate informed the IMM that they would not go to tender, that they would operate the facility themselves, and requested an eviction."

'FIRST A STAY OF EXECUTION, THEN A REJECTION'

Noting that the IMM had taken the matter to court, the statement said, "The Istanbul 13th Administrative Court, which heard the case, found the IMM's objection justified and issued a stay of execution on November 29, 2024. In its decision on December 12, 2024, the same court decided to reject the request for a stay of execution. Following the eviction notice from the Sarıyer District Governorship, the relevant areas were evacuated. The IMM continues its legal battle regarding the Belgrade Forest. The process regarding the eviction decision, which was implemented while the judicial path was still open, continues in the 10th Administrative Court. In the ongoing legal process, the court requested information and documents from the relevant district governorship and granted a 5-day period."

News Source: 12punto