The reason behind Tansu Çiller's support for Murat Kurum has been revealed

Former Deputy Secretary General of the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality and urban planner Buğra Gökçe has explained why Tansu Çiller is supporting AKP's Istanbul mayoral candidate Murat Kurum.

Gökçe stated, "During his time as Minister, Murat Kurum changed the zoning plan of a plot of land managed by a company owned by the Çiller family in Kilyos, opening a natural protected area to rent-seeking. The IBB filed the necessary lawsuit and the plan change was cancelled."

Çiller announced her support for AKP's Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality mayoral candidate Murat Kurum. Following Çiller's announcement, IBB Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu reacted by saying, "She persistently sought zoning for her own 13,000-square-meter land in Sarıyer; we persistently filed lawsuits and had it cancelled. Why would she support me! She knows where to give her support. He caused her to gain rent, and I am working to gain benefits for my nation. That is the difference."

IBB Deputy Secretary General Dr. Buğra Gökçe shared a post on his social media account titled "Why did Tansu Çiller announce her support for Murat Kurum?" 

Stating that "During his time as Minister, Murat Kurum changed the zoning plan of a plot of land managed by a company owned by the Çiller family in Kilyos, opening a natural protected area to rent-seeking," Gökçe recorded the following statements:

A cautionary tale

On May 21, 2020, the Ministry of Environment and Urbanization changed the zoning plan for approximately 30,000 square meters of land in Kilyos belonging to a company managed by the Çiller family.

With the plan change, the parcel, which had been designated as a residential area, was re-regulated to allow for a hotel. The construction area of 4,586 square meters was increased 5-fold to 24,000 square meters.

We objected to the change of the plan, which was in a natural protected area status, and to the making of a privileged regulation, under the leadership of Mr. Ekrem İmamoğlu. Although the Ministry rejected our objection, the court cancelled the plan as a result of the lawsuit filed in 2022. But the matter did not end there.

The Ministry of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change, under the leadership of Murat Kurum, this time changed the zoning plans for a 60-parcel region in Sarıyer, Kısırkaya, Istanbul, which also included the land belonging to the Çiller family.

With the plan change, while park, worship, and road areas were reduced, residential, commercial, and tourism areas were increased.

In the area covering 273,000 square meters, residential, commercial, tourism, and daily facility areas were increased by approximately 20 percent.

The IBB again objected to the Ministry. The Ministry rejected the objection. As a result of the lawsuit filed, the court found the objection justified and cancelled the plan change.

The land belonging to the company managed by the Çiller family is located within a 3rd-degree natural protected area. This is the critical point. At the time we filed the lawsuit, this land had been mortgaged to Halkbank in exchange for the company's loan debts. If this plan change had passed, the land would have appreciated in value, and a rent transfer of millions of dollars would have taken place.

However, with the public entrusting the duty to Mr. Ekrem İmamoğlu in 2019, a period of serving 16 million Istanbulites began, rather than serving individuals, institutions, or cliques.

Actions were taken with a public-oriented perspective, not a rent-seeking one.

No privileges or concessions were granted to anyone. Just as illegal structures on the coastline were demolished, the mentality of changing zoning plans to transfer rent to individuals was also demolished.

On March 31, Istanbul will make a decision between these two mentalities. Çiller has taken her stance where she belongs. Those who are the same have met in the same place. I believe that 16 million Istanbulites will also say "Full speed ahead" and take their place alongside those who serve Istanbul.

News Source: 12punto