Nasuh Mahruki: When an earthquake happens tomorrow...

Good Party (İYİ Party) Istanbul MP Nimet Özdemir asked about the opening of military lands to zoning in violation of the law in a parliamentary question submitted to the Grand National Assembly of Turkey (TBMM). Quoting Özdemir's social media post, Nasuh Mahruki said, "When an earthquake happens tomorrow or a major security and public order issue occurs, there are no longer any military units left to rush to help or arrive in time."

Military lands located on the outskirts of many cities in Turkey were moved outside city limits following legal regulations enacted after the July 15 coup attempt. Although it was stated that the vacated military lands would become 'green spaces' or 'reserve areas,' their opening to zoning development has drawn attention. Good Party Istanbul MP Nimet Özdemir submitted a parliamentary question for the Minister of National Defense and the Minister of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change to answer. The motion included the following questions:

1. Following the decisions to move military lands outside city limits, where are the areas that have been declared as "Green Space" or "Reserve Area" within the scope of legal regulations in Istanbul?

2. What is the total size of these areas? What is their share within the total size of Istanbul and their distribution by district?

3. To which regions of the city were the evacuated military lands relocated? Is there a possibility that the aforementioned units will remain within residential areas in the near future of rapidly growing Istanbul?

4. What is the current occupancy rate of the housing/facilities produced on military lands for various reasons? Is it being considered to allocate the idle housing to our citizens who have been displaced due to earthquakes and natural disasters?

5. What will be the status of projects that were built contrary to city plans and zoning legislation and were cancelled by the Council of State? Will the requirements of the cancellation decisions be fulfilled?

MAHRUKİ: MASSIVE SECURITY GAP

AKUT founder and 12punto columnist Nasuh Mahruki supported Nimet Özdemir's parliamentary question by quoting it. Mahruki emphasized that moving military units outside city limits has created a massive security gap. Reminding of the support of military units in extraordinary situations such as earthquakes, Mahruki wrote:

“One of the greatest betrayals of the government is seizing military lands with flimsy excuses and moving the military out of the city.

When an earthquake happens tomorrow or a major security and public order issue occurs, there are no longer any military units left to rush to help or arrive in time.

The government is chasing the rent of these areas, which have been perfectly preserved and developed for 100 years because they were in military use and are the most important green spaces for Istanbul to breathe, due to its hostility toward the military; however, the massive security gap it has created is deadly and very risky for all of us.”

News Source: 12punto