The disaster assembly area in the Kemerköy Site of Göktürk Mahallesi in Istanbul was declared as a reserve building area in April by the Ministry of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change upon the application of Emlak Konut GYO. Citizens who do not want to lose the area, which has been used as an open green space since 1980, started a petition.
The Ministry had approved the new zoning plan for the golf courses in Kemer Country in Göktürk last April. The development of the area, which was used as a green area and earthquake gathering area, was met with a reaction from the neighborhood. Citizens who want to make their voices heard started a petition online. Koray Cengiz, the lawyer of the residents of Kemerköy Site, said, “They prepared a plan in 2018 and 2019, but we canceled it with a court decision. Later, the ministry declared this area as a reserve building area and made it accept the same plans that it had previously submitted. The area we defend is one of the last remaining green areas in Göktürk. What happens at the end of the work is the green area,” he said. Cengiz, who stated that the lawsuits were open again for the cancellation, said, “We started a process before going on the judicial holiday. He is currently in court,” he said.