Ferah Apartment, which will be transformed with the 'Istanbul is Renewing' platform, is the President of IMM. Ekrem İmamoğlu and collapsed in the testimony of the rights holders. Emphasizing that earthquake and transformation should not be made the subject of general elections, İmamoğlu said, “Here, let's talk. What are the glitches? Let's come running... This has nothing to do with the election calendar. So let's make a right decision today. Whoever will rule after the election should continue it," he said. Stating that institutions can come together and transform hundreds of residences every day, İmamoğlu said, “When we look at it this way, believe me, we become people who contribute to the renovation of dozens of buildings every day and sign under it. Our Istanbul needs this very urgently. Unfortunately, we spent 24 years idling, now we have to step on the gas,” he said.
Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (IMM) Urban Planning Group companies; Established by KİPTAŞ, İstanbul İmar AŞ and BİMTAŞ, İstanbul Renewal platform continued its single building transformation project with Ferah Apartment, built in 1967. Demolition of the building with 20 independent units, which was declared a risky structure on April 2021, 18 IMM President Ekrem İmamoğlu and witnessed by the rights holders. Demolition Deputy Secretary General of IMM Dr. Buğra Gökce and KİPTAŞ General Manager Ali Kurt also testified.
“THE HIGHEST LEVEL REQUIRED TO BE SENSITIVE”
IMM President, who made a statement to the press before the demolition of Ferah Apartment, Ekrem İmamoğlu, expressed the importance of a single building demolition with the words “We saw and lived together in an earthquake, how many lives even a building can cost”. Saying, "Unfortunately, thousands of our buildings have been destroyed, we have coffins," said Imamoglu, and announced that he would go to Adana and Hatay again and make investigations in the earthquake zone. Stating that they are making maximum efforts to transform every building of Istanbul, the IMM President also called on Istanbul. Inviting a reconciliation on the issue of transformation, İmamoğlu said, “If our citizens cannot compromise and prolong this process, they will be incredibly reckless against the existing threat. Because we don't know when the earthquake will happen. To live in buildings that threaten our people - God forbid - means to let oneself die. Even here, it is time for reconciliation, the process has matured in two years… It is imperative that our citizens be sensitive to this process at the highest level. In other words, prolonging the process over financial expectations and other issues like this is a real threat. I invite all my fellow citizens of Istanbul to take responsibility for bringing the ground of agreement to the highest level.”
“THIS WORK HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THE ELECTION CALENDAR”
Pointing out that it is necessary to deal with the issue together for the transition to safe housing, İmamoğlu said, “Why we need to work together, why these decisions should evolve as quickly as possible; Our definition of earthquake council is just a step towards shortening the time and accelerating it, from the planning of the planning to the presentation of some financial opportunities, from the management of some regulation issues under a single roof, to the gathering of all institutions, organizations, NGOs and individuals under one roof. From here, I still make a call to all relevant ministries, especially the Ministry of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change. Look, I'm not saying there is an election in two months. I'm not saying we will fix it. I am calling. Because there is no today or tomorrow. It has no choice. An election promise field is never. Shall we get together today? Here we go. Let's talk. What are the glitches? Call, let's come running. Let's do it in Istanbul. It is not a matter of election promises. This has nothing to do with the election calendar. So let's make a right decision today. Whoever will rule after the election should continue it," he said.
MEASURE CONDITION FOR RENTED HOUSING
Stating that no one should live in an unstable building due to the problems caused by economic conditions and high rents, İmamoğlu said, “They should not see living in every building as a solution for themselves. Istanbul needs a housing policy. Istanbul needs some measures at a rental housing point. We have housing policies regarding these… No one has the right to rent out a rotten building, that is, a building that threatens to take heavy damage. There are also suggestions to prevent this. We want to discuss all these at a table," he said.
“WE SHOULD NOT THINK ABOUT THESE AFTER THE EARTHQUAKE”
Reminding that the Ministry of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change made improvements in rent support after the earthquake, Mayor İmamoğlu said, “If you do not have an income in Istanbul, it is not possible for a house to find a house with the help of the ministry's rent of 1.500 liras. Right now the cheapest house is five or six times that. In such an environment, we said we should support this process and we determined a figure almost three times that and presented it to the parliament. We presented the rent aid of 4.500 liras to our assembly. As of yesterday, a decision of 3.500 lira was announced by the ministry. It is gratifying, it is valuable. We thank you, but even that doesn't mean anything for Istanbul. We presented 4.500 liras in December. There was no earthquake. We should not think about these after the earthquake. In other words, we have known for a year and a half that 1.500 lira means nothing in this city. It was increased from 1.150 to 1.500 liras about a year and a half ago. We must innovate pragmatically and contribute to the process. We will consider this at the Earthquake Council in Istanbul. The ministry is there, the citizen is there, the institutions are there. When we look at it this way, believe me, we become people who contribute to the renovation of tens, hundreds of buildings every day and sign under it. Our Istanbul needs this very urgently. Unfortunately, we spent 24 years idling, now we have to step on the gas,” he said.
HOW DID THE PROCESS PROGRESS?
Residents of Ferah Apartments applied to istanbulyenilenen.com on October 20, 2021 to renovate their buildings, which were declared a risky building on April 3, 2021. The project was prepared and contracts were signed with the beneficiaries on September 13, 2022. On January 6, 2023, a 3% consensus was reached with the beneficiaries and the evictions were made. On February 2023, 21, a tenant in Ferah Apartment, whose natural gas, electricity and water infrastructure services were cut off within the framework of legal processes, received a stay of execution decision from the court for these cuts. On February 2023, 27, the legal battle on behalf of the rights holders was concluded and the stay of execution decision was lifted. Then, on February 2023, 7, electricity, water and natural gas services were cut again with the relevant institutions. On March 2023, XNUMX, the last tenant in the apartment evacuated the apartment, and the evacuation process in the risky apartment was completed.