‘Urban transformation’ of former military site in Istanbul planned

ISTANBUL – Doğan News Agency

DHA photo

Around 50,000 homes will be built on 8.7 million square meters of land that was transferred from the Defense Ministry to Istanbul’s Esenler Municipality last year. 

The Greater Istanbul Municipality council has approved a “Common Service Protocol” in order to enhance the work needed to be completed for the project, which foresees the construction of new homes and the demolition of many currently standing buildings.

According to the protocol, homes in the Esenler, Bağcılar, Bahçelievler, Güngören and Küçükçekmece districts of Istanbul that will be demolished in the plan will be able to be used by their current owners as “barter dwellings” to move into newly built ones. 

The project foresees the transfer of 10 percent of the new housing in the area to the Istanbul Municipality, so the state-run Housing Development Administration of Turkey (TOKİ) and the Istanbul Housing Master Plan Enterprise (KİPTAŞ) can carry out further construction in the area.  

Construction of a large-scale city park is also included in the plans, with its theme, design and maintenance conducted by the Istanbul Municipality. 

The protocol between the Defense Ministry and the Esenler Municipality was signed on April 29, 2015 and is valid for 10 years.