Turkey's deforested land sale bill coming soon

ANKARA – Hürriyet Daily News

Forestry and Waterworks Minister Eroğlu gestures during a press meeting. DHA photo

A draft bill envisaging the sale of 2-B lands, seen as a major source of revenue for the government, will be submitted to the Cabinet within 15 days, Forestry and Waterworks Minister Veysel Eroğlu announced yesterday.

2-B lands officially include forestlands that became deforested before 1981 and were repurposed by individuals, industrial companies, villages or towns.

Eroğlu said he hoped the draft would be submitted to Parliament by the year-end, but added that the Cabinet would make the final decision.

The draft was discussed on Nov. 14 at a meeting chaired by Deputy Prime Minister Ali Babacan, he said. Environment and Urbanization Minister Erdoğan Bayraktar, Finance Minister Mehmet Şimşek, Forestry Minister Veysel Eroğlu, Science, Industry and Technology Minister Nihat Ergün and Customs and Trade Minister Hayati Yazıcı also attended the meeting.

Eroğlu declined to say how much revenue the government expected from the arrangement on grounds that financial terms concerning the lands’ market value would be determined by law.

Earlier estimations have suggested the government could net up to 26 billion Turkish Liras