ELAZIG GUNISIGI NEWSPAPER – February 2013
URBAN TRANSFORMATION IN "ELAZIĞ"
Since the Van Earthquake (October 2011), thankfully, we haven’t heard of a destructive earthquake. The expectation is for life to continue without earthquakes, but in reality, no one is unaware that this expectation is unrealistic. Just as the 1999 earthquake marked a turning point in terms of construction, structure, and project quality, the Van Earthquake also became a turning point for urban transformation.
The Law No. 6306 and its implementation regulations are among the most important steps taken in this regard. However, I believe we need to evaluate both our strengths and weaknesses in this area. First and foremost, the most significant problem is that the relevant institutions have not been effectively informing the public about the benefits of this law. Public service announcements explaining the advantages of this law should have been seen on screens by now.
You may ask, "What advantages does this law offer? Can I renew my house under this law?"
If a citizen wishes to renew their earthquake-resistant building, they can receive rental assistance, zoning facilitation, loan assistance, and exemption from construction-related fees and taxes. With this support, a citizen can renew their house as if paying rent, or even renew it without any expense by making an agreement with the private sector in areas where zoning arrangements have been made.
The most authoritative figure in this matter, Minister of Environment and Urbanization, Erdoğan Bayraktar, made important statements to the press:
“We will not force anyone to demolish their house,” said Bayraktar. “Buildings will only be demolished if they are extremely risky, so dangerous that they could collapse at any moment. Citizens will have to leave. We are the ones organizing this process.” He also stated that for citizens who cannot afford to renew their houses, they will build storage housing. “We will construct storage housing equivalent to 10% of the number of homes under transformation. These homes will be affordable,” Bayraktar added. He further emphasized that they have received the expected level of interest in urban transformation. "We are talking about a very difficult task. In this process, we even hope for help from flying birds. We will not force anyone’s house to be demolished. Citizens must understand this,” he said. Bayraktar concluded by comparing urban transformation to health, stating that just as people go for check-ups when they have a headache, they should also care about urban transformation for their safety, as it is just as critical.
I believe it’s important to take a look at the efforts of the institutions involved in urban transformation. It should be noted that these institutions are eager to make progress, but citizens feel that these efforts are insufficient. This is because citizens believe these institutions are not working effectively. Therefore, it is crucial for the work and plans to be shared with the public.
From what I've observed, the Elazığ Provincial Directorate of Environment and Urbanization is striving to respond to all the requests made by citizens. I’ve seen that citizens applying to obtain building evaluation reports from the university are being informed with great care by the Directorate. Similarly, the rapid forwarding of the documents of those who have received reports to the ministry is also commendable. (By the way, I can't help but mention that if our politicians had shown the same level of interest in the 1/100,000 scale Environmental Plan, the ministry would have probably approved the plan by now.)
Recently, I've learned that the Elazığ Municipality has intensified its urban transformation efforts. The municipality is working on significant projects both in terms of individual buildings and entire districts. My hope is that not only individual buildings but also entire zoning areas will be renewed, leading to the creation of a livable city center. I hope that the municipality’s ongoing projects will soon come to fruition, and urban transformation will begin. Once the municipality's efforts are finalized, I believe the relevant authorities will make the necessary announcements.
One of our city’s most important dynamics, Fırat University, has been licensed by the Ministry of Environment and Urbanization to identify risky buildings under Law No. 6306. The university’s Department of Civil Engineering and the Building-Concrete Application and Research Center are responding to citizens' requests within their means.
There is one more important point to address: I wish that the flow of information and expertise between institutions was based on institutional relationships rather than personal ones. In an important issue like the elimination of risky buildings and areas, communication between institutions becomes crucial. Through joint efforts, Elazığ could experience developments that could serve as an example for Turkey.