ELAZIG GUNISIGI NEWSPAPER – January 2012
URBAN TRANSFORMATION LAW
If we carefully examine the press and the internet, we can see that earthquakes are happening almost every day, and many of them are alarming. If you type the keywords "mild earthquake" into any search engine, you will come across millions of pages. This indicates that almost every part of our country experiences earthquakes that unsettle our people daily.
Earthquakes are not just a reality for our country but for many countries around the world. You can only combat an inevitable issue like this with permanent solutions. For our country, that solution is seen as urban transformation. While there are many issues awaiting solutions even on paper, it is not difficult to predict that implementing urban transformation in practice will be quite challenging.
This week, urban transformation was also on the agenda of the country's leadership. During discussions at the Cabinet meeting regarding the urban transformation law, the Ministry of Environment and Urbanization presented facts that are directly related to the future of the country. It was emphasized that 60 million people, 12 million homes, and 400 billion dollars’ worth of infrastructure and machinery are under earthquake risk. Every year, significant unforeseen amounts of money are spent on repairing the damage caused by earthquakes, inevitably leading to economic turmoil.
According to official data from the Ministry of Environment and Urbanization, in 130 destructive earthquakes since 1903, 110,000 people have lost their lives, and 2 million houses have been rendered uninhabitable. Even if we distribute the cost of demolishing and rebuilding 2 million homes over the years, the heavy burden on the state and the people becomes clear.
The Ministry of Environment and Urbanization seems to be making serious efforts regarding earthquakes and urban transformation. However, these efforts must also be shown in local institutions and organizations. After reviewing the general outlines of the Ministry’s efforts regarding urban transformation, let’s take a look at what can be done.
How will urban transformation and building renewal be carried out?
- Risky buildings will be identified by the Ministry of Environment and Urbanization, TOKİ (Housing Development Administration), or municipalities.
- Risky buildings will be reported to the Land Registry Office.
- An attempt will first be made to reach an agreement with the owners of risky buildings in areas subject to urban transformation.
- For those who agree, temporary housing or rent assistance will be provided.
- Owners of buildings that agree to demolish their buildings themselves will do so. If not, the Ministry of Environment and Urbanization will carry out the demolition. Decisions will be made by a 2/3 majority of the shareholders. Shares of those who do not agree will be sold to other owners through an auction. If not sold, the shares will be purchased at market value and registered in the name of the Treasury.
- If there is no 2/3 majority of shareholders, expropriation or urgent expropriation will be carried out for properties owned by private individuals or legal entities.
- Property owners whose buildings are demolished through agreement, as well as those who have resided in the buildings for at least one year, may be eligible for housing, business, land, or loans from transformation income.
- Long-term loan opportunities will be provided for low-income people for housing or businesses.
If you read these articles carefully, you will see that there are still many uncertainties. The law is still in draft form. It is possible to prevent the law from passing and changing repeatedly. However, again, I must emphasize that if municipalities and relevant institutions in the provinces cannot keep up with the Ministry, the state will struggle greatly, and citizens will experience significant hardship.
Regardless of the name of the work to be done, as the Fırat University Department of Civil Engineering suggested in its Turkey Earthquake Strategy (TÜDES), the first step should be determining the earthquake resistance of the current building stock. It seems that the Ministry’s efforts are starting with this step. Currently, this is a huge issue for the Ministry. Why is this issue not being solved? Because, as always, we expect everything from the government. Instead of producing solutions, we are waiting for solutions to be produced. The same words can be said for other provinces, but especially Elazığ should produce its own solution and lighten the Ministry’s load.
With nearly half a century of experience, Fırat University’s Civil Engineering Department, the Municipality, Provincial Special Administration, the Ministry of Environment and Urbanization, and all relevant institutions and organizations should come together. Do we lack equipment? Technical personnel? Experts? What are we lacking? Is it unity, a willingness to take responsibility, or coordination?
Why hasn’t a pilot urban transformation project been initiated in any of the neighborhoods like İzzet Paşa, Nailbey, Çarşı, Sarayatik, Kültür, or Mustafa Paşa? Why shouldn’t Elazığ be the pioneer of urban transformation in Turkey? Following is our character, but it is never our fate. The people of Elazığ want to be followed, to be pioneers, and to be leaders.
In pilot urban transformation areas, problems related to the work can be identified, and these experiences can significantly contribute to the urban transformation law. Moreover, with new zoning regulations, structural renewal projects may be carried out without imposing any financial burden on the citizens.
The first work to be done in Elazığ regarding urban transformation should be inter-institutional coordination. It is clear that the Municipality or the Ministry of Environment and Urbanization Provincial Directorate will play a leading role here. I hope these steps are taken as soon as possible.