Deputy Minister of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change Ömer Bulut met with the beneficiaries of the partially collapsed building in Maltepe, where 5 people lost their lives. Deputy Minister Bulut announced that urban transformation work will be initiated with TOKİ in the area where the building and the risky buildings around it are located, and in this context, 3 separate offers will be presented to the citizens. Bulut said, "The support of the state will never be lacking. Hopefully, we will heal our wounds to some extent by carrying out the construction through our TOKİ Presidency, within a year or so."
A meeting was held at Maltepe District Governorship with the beneficiaries of the 7-storey building, which partially collapsed on East Street, Cevizli District of Istanbul, on October 8, and the surrounding apartments, which were evacuated as a precaution. The demands of the rights holders were heard at the meeting attended by Deputy Minister of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change Ömer Bulut, Governor of Istanbul Davut Gül, Deputy Governor Cengiz Karabulut, Maltepe District Governor Mehmet Akçay, District Mayor Esin Köymen and Urban Transformation President Hakkı Alp.
TRANSFORMATION WILL BE CARRIED OUT WITH TOKİ
Making a press statement after the meeting, Bulut underlined that the state has been with the citizens from the first moment with all its resources. Stating that 5 more buildings in the surrounding area were evacuated in addition to Kardeşler Apartment, where there was a partial collapse, Bulut announced that core samples will be taken from these buildings and after the risk assessments are completed, an urban transformation project will be implemented in the region. Bulut stated that in this context, 3 alternatives will be offered to citizens, including the opportunity to benefit from Half of Us support, the opportunity to benefit from the transformation to be planned by TOKİ under the supervision of the Ministry, or the opportunity to benefit from ready-made urban transformation houses.
READY RESIDENCES ARE ALSO RECOMMENDED
Bulut said, "As the Ministry of Environment and Urbanization, they had a preliminary idea that we would implement this project in a very short time, just like the transformation projects we have done in the demolished building in Kartal, Kağıthane, different neighborhoods of Kartal, Güngören and every district of Istanbul, and that it would be done by the state. Hopefully, we will have implemented this project within a year or so. But as another alternative, we will offer them the flats we have from previous transformations in Esenkent, in our Maltepe district." "We suggested it," he said.
URBAN TRANSFORMATION OFFICE WAS OPENED IN THE REGION
Noting that an urban transformation office has been established in the neighborhood and the demands of the citizens will be evaluated, Bulut explained that they aim to complete the transformation project to be carried out in the region within 1 year: As of today, we have opened an urban transformation office here that will listen to our citizens and receive their demands. Therefore, they will convey all their demands there. After receiving their requests, we will re-evaluate them and decide which of these three alternatives we will proceed with. But of course, the support of the state will never be lacking here. Hopefully, we will heal our wounds to some extent by carrying out the construction through our TOKİ Presidency within a year or so.
“IF YOU SEE A PROBLEM IN YOUR BUILDING, CONTACT OUR PROVINCIAL DIRECTORATES”
Pointing out that the transformation of nearly 1 million independent sections within the Ministry has been completed so far, Bulut called on citizens to report their risky buildings and benefit from the transformation: We already have a risk map, that is, there is a regional basis for the priority risky areas. Of course, we specifically request this to our citizens on a building basis: If you see a problem in your building, be sure to contact our provincial directorates and we will carry out the necessary procedures. If your building turns out to be risky, let us demolish it and benefit from our Half of It Campaign, which is a figure of 1 million 875 thousand liras. Therefore, when our President prepared this project in 2023, he prepared it because he thought about the people of Istanbul. Our Minister is constantly monitoring this project and making great efforts to create resources. The process was due to end at the end of this year, but it was extended for another year by the decision of our President.
9 people were rescued from the rubble in the Kardeşler Apartment Building, which partially collapsed on October 8, and 5 people died, 1 in the hospital and 4 at the scene.
