Trustee balance sheet in Van: 517 real estate was sold, debt increased to 25 billion lira

Real estate sales and the amount of debt related to the years that Van Metropolitan Municipality spent under the trustee administration became the subject of discussion again. DEM Party Van Deputy Zülküf Uçar stated that hundreds of immovable properties of the municipality were disposed of and the debt burden increased significantly.

A total of 517 properties belonging to the Van Metropolitan Municipality, which has been managed by trustees at various periods for approximately 10 years, were sold. It was stated that municipal debt will reach 25 billion lira in 2024, while it was 8 billion lira.

517 ALLEGED PROPERTY WAS SOLD

According to the news in Sözcü, it was reported that 517 immovable properties belonging to Van Metropolitan Municipality were sold during the trustee administrations. 25 properties were sold in Edremit district and 270 properties were sold in İpekyolu district.

THE MUNICIPALITY'S DEBT INCREASED TO 25 BILLION LIRA

Making a statement on the issue in the Turkish Grand National Assembly, DEM Party Van Deputy Zülküf Uçar drew attention to the change in the financial situation of the municipality. Uçar said that after the 2024 local elections, they took over the municipality with a debt of 8 billion lira, and during the trustee management process, the debt reached 25 billion lira.

Uçar said, "The debt was 12 times the amount of money stolen by former AKP minister Fatma Betül Sayan Kaya from the fund. Many municipalities' resources were cut off due to SSI and debts from the past. Iller Bank does not give loans."

Stating that Van has long-standing problems in the fields of transportation, traffic and health services, Uçar brought up that the trustee administrations did not produce sufficient solutions in these areas.

A TRUSTEE HAS BEEN APPOINTED THREE TIMES IN VAN

In the Van Metropolitan Municipality, three separately elected mayors were removed from office in the last 10 years. Following the dismissal of the then Mayor Bekir Kaya in 2016, Van Governor İbrahim Taşyapan was appointed as trustee.

Following the dismissal of Bedia Özgökçe Ertan, who was elected mayor in the 2019 local elections, Van Governor Emin Bilmez was appointed as trustee. Following the dismissal of Abdullah Zeydan, who won the local elections on March 31, 2024, Van Governor Ozan Balcı was appointed to the municipal government as a trustee.

Allegations regarding the municipality's real estate sales and the amount of debt have brought the financial practices of the trustee administrations to the agenda again.