Striking warning from Milli Gazete columnist Siyami Akyel: 'Land sales and mining licenses are a project to Lebanonize Turkey'

Milli Gazete columnist Siyami Akyel issued critical warnings regarding Turkey's future, focusing on land sales to foreigners, foreign monopolies in mining areas, and uncontrolled migration movements. Arguing that the ongoing process is a form of "Americanism" disguised as "Neo-Ottomanism," Akyel claimed that Turkey is being step-by-step pushed toward Lebanonization.

?? @siyamiakyel
??Believe me, they are selling land to foreigners; they removed the reciprocity requirement for 183 countries
??It used to be 25 decares, they increased it to 300 decares
??10% of our sister homeland Cyprus has been sold to Israelis...
??Especially with the Metropolitan Law, villages have been turned into neighborhoods… pic.twitter.com/xdR3SuFbXy

— TV5 (@tv5televizyonu) June 5, 2026

Here are the striking highlights from Akyel's statements:

REMOVAL OF RECIPROCITY AND UNLIMITED LAND SALES

Pointing out that the "reciprocity" requirement for citizens of 183 countries was removed with the law enacted on May 3, 2012, Akyel emphasized that this situation poses a major risk to territorial integrity.

Stating that the limit for land that can be sold to foreigners has been increased from 25 decares to 300 decares, and that this figure can even be stretched up to 600 decares by a Council of Ministers decision, Akyel used the following expressions:

"It is clearly stated in the official channels of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs that foreigners can easily purchase property and land even over the internet, and that special regulations have been introduced to ensure they do not suffer losses in this process. Citizens of countries from all over the world, whose names we have not even heard of, can buy land in Turkey from where they sit. Furthermore, facilitating the changing of names and surnames for foreigners aims to erase the traces of these property transfers."

FOUR FUNDAMENTAL THREATS BESIEGING TURKEY

Akyel listed the four main elements threatening Turkey's demographic and geographical structure as follows:

Uncontrolled Land Sales to Foreigners: Property rights opened to almost every country in the world without requiring reciprocity.

Changing the Demographic Structure: The deliberate transformation of Turkey's social fabric through waves of foreign migration.

Property Danger in Cyprus: The fact that approximately 10 percent of the lands of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) have been sold to Israeli and Jewish buyers.

Transfer of Mining Areas to Foreigners: The evacuation and virtual occupation of villages through over 4,900 mining licenses granted to foreign companies, primarily Americans and Canadians.

THE BLINDNESS CREATED BY SOCIAL POLARIZATION

Stating that two different poles have formed in Turkey regarding immigrant and foreign policy and that this situation hides the real danger, Akyel expressed that the conservative segment does not speak out against "Muslim-origin" immigrants, while the secular segment does not speak out against "Western" foreigners such as the British and Americans. He emphasized that the cost of this silence is the transfer of the country's most valuable lands to a very wide range of foreigners, from Russians to Israelis, and from Greeks to Arab countries.

THE METROPOLITAN LAW AND THE AMASYA EXAMPLE

Explaining the dimensions of the danger in rural areas with a concrete example, Akyel drew attention to news he received upon returning from the holiday break:

"In the Gümüşhacıköy district of Amasya, an area of 40 thousand hectares covering 4 villages was declared a mining site, and these villages are being evacuated. The transformation of villages into neighborhoods with the Metropolitan Law paved the way for state-owned pastures and agricultural lands to be handed over to domestic or foreign large capital owners. Our mountains and pastures have been turned into mining exploration sites for foreign companies."

"THE GOAL IS TO LEBANONIZE TURKEY"

Claiming that when all these developments are evaluated together, there is no vision like "Neo-Ottomanism," but on the contrary, a downsizing policy serving American interests is being carried out, Akyel concluded his words with a harsh warning:

"They want to turn Turkey into a Lebanon with a fragmented demographic structure and parceled-out lands, and to shrink the country in this way."

News Source: 12punto