Representatives of the construction sector, who came together at the meeting hosted by the Bursa Chamber of Commerce and Industry, demand that the “Half of the Work is on Us” support be implemented in Bursa to accelerate urban transformation processes against earthquake risk. BTSO Construction Council President Ali Tuğcu stated that active fault lines pass through the city center in Bursa and said, “Urban transformation is of greater importance in Bursa than in many other cities. In this context, we demand that the “Half of the Work is on Us” campaign be implemented in Bursa as it is in Istanbul.”
The Extended Sectoral Analysis Meeting of BTSO 23rd Professional Committee, which included representatives of the residential housing construction sector, was held in the Chamber Service Building. BTSO Board Member Alparslan Şenocak, Construction Council President Ali Tuğcu, members of the assembly and committee, as well as academic chamber presidents, university and civil society organization representatives also attended the meeting. The meeting addressed projects and targeted studies implemented for the construction sector, primarily the Rising City Construction and Life Fair and the Resilient Cities Summit. In addition, priority issues on the sector's agenda and solution proposals such as problems experienced in land production, urban transformation, licensing processes, lack of qualified labor and cost increases were evaluated.
Rising City Building and Living Fair Will Be Held on 23-26 April 2026
Speaking at the opening of the meeting, BTSO Board Member Alparslan Şenocak stated that the Rising City Construction and Life Fair and the Resilient Cities Summit made significant contributions to the sector. Şenocak said, “Our fair, which we have implemented to accelerate our sector, brought together nearly 5 of our companies with over 40 foreign buyers from 16 countries in an area of 200 thousand square meters. Our companies exhibited their newest projects at the fair, which was attended by 15 thousand visitors. These meetings are a source of morale for our sector, and the first steps of strong future collaborations are taken on these platforms. Hopefully, after this success, we will continue on our path with much stronger content next year on April 23-26.” Şenocak stated that the Resilient Cities Summit, which was held for the first time this year at Bursa Business School, was an event that carried the vision of the sector forward and allowed for the exchange of ideas on very important topics.
“We Need Spatial Transformation”
Stating that Bursa directs the Turkish economy with its industrial infrastructure and entrepreneurial potential, Şenocak drew attention to the fact that there are important steps that need to be taken in terms of transformation. Stating that over 8 thousand industrial enterprises operating in a confined space in the city center negatively affect both production capacity and quality of life, Şenocak said, “A significant portion of the building stock in Bursa, which is located in the earthquake zone, is now exhausted. Therefore, we need a holistic transformation plan in which housing and industrial areas will be addressed together without wasting any more time.” Stating that the sector maintains its dynamism despite high interest rates and difficulties in accessing financing, Şenocak said that home ownership is still at low levels in Türkiye and the need for urban transformation is increasing. Noting that the public, private sector and financial institutions should act in cooperation in this process, Şenocak said, “The visionary projects to be put forward will shape not only today but also the cities of the future.”
“The Construction Sector is Going Through a Difficult Process”
BTSO Construction Council President Ali Tuğcu said that the construction sector, like all sectors, is going through a difficult process. Stating that construction and real estate are inherently more sensitive to crises, Tuğcu said, “Our sector is quickly affected by crises, but it takes time to recover.” Stating that although the housing sales figures announced in April seem generally positive, the share of first-hand housing in total sales remained at 29 percent, Tuğcu said, “This picture shows that there is a serious crisis in both costs and sales. It is very important to act in unity and solidarity during this period.”
“Bursa is a City with Active Fault Lines Passing through the City Center”
Ali Tuğcu said that they, as the Council, carried out their work under the guidance of common sense. Stating that they have been focusing on urban transformation for the last 3 terms, Tuğcu said, “Bursa is a city where active fault lines pass through the city center. Urban transformation is of greater importance in Bursa than in many other cities. In this context, the ‘Half of It is on Us’ campaign needs to be implemented in Bursa as it is in Istanbul. We also conveyed our demands on the subject to our Minister of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change, Mr. Murat Kurum, whom we hosted in Uludağ last month.” Tuğcu also said that they met with the Bursa Metropolitan Municipality Zoning and Public Works Commission regarding the road map for urban transformation. Stating that it does not seem possible for urban transformation to regain momentum in Bursa with the council decisions taken in the Metropolitan Municipality, Tuğcu stated that they have taken initiatives in this regard.
Minister Kurum's Statements Give Hope
BTSO Assembly Member Şeref Demir drew attention to the strategic position of the construction and real estate sector in the Turkish economy. Demir stated that the sector affects approximately 250 sub-sectors and that BTSO, which has over 57 thousand members, closely follows sectoral problems and regularly communicates them to the relevant authorities. Şeref Demir indicated the land shortage as one of the main problems of the sector. Demir, who said, “Our biggest bleeding wound is the land,” said that they encountered serious problems throughout the process from the first moment the land was opened to construction and that they presented a comprehensive file to the Minister of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change Murat Kurum on this issue. Referring to Minister Murat Kurum’s recent visit to Bursa, Demir said, “Our Minister has displayed a very determined approach to urban transformation. He made promising statements regarding the establishment of a commission under the supervision of our Governor in Bursa and the resolution of the issue with a supra-political approach.”
“Bursa Should Be Among the Priority Provinces in Urban Transformation Policies”
Demir, who stated that they were working on creating organized housing zones in order to solve the land shortage, pointed out that Bursa is also located in a critical region in terms of earthquake risk. Şeref Demir said, “Although the total number of houses is not as high as Istanbul, Bursa is in a more serious position in terms of earthquake risk. For this reason, Bursa should be considered as one of the priority provinces in urban transformation and construction policies. Half of it is from us and we demand that similar opportunities be provided to Bursa as well.”
Investments in Housing Are Turning Abroad
BTSO 23rd Professional Committee President Levent Bilek emphasized the importance of the sector acting in unity and solidarity. Sharing some numerical data regarding the sector, Bilek said, “Turkish investors make investments of approximately 8 billion dollars abroad every year. The vast majority of these investments consist of housing and real estate. While many construction and projects are being carried out here, it is necessary to analyze well why investments are being made abroad.” Bilek also thanked the stakeholders who contributed to the Resilient Cities Summit and the Rising City Building and Living Fair.
