Kılıçdaroğlu vows to ban house sales to foreigners to end crisis if he assumes power

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The main opposition bloc Nation Alliance’s presidential candidate and Republican People’s Party (CHP) leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu on April 29 shared a video titled "Rents" on his social media accounts and explained his projects for the country’s deepening housing problem.

The 74-year-old leader stated that they would ban the sale of houses to foreigners and added, "Not a single foreigner will be able to buy a house before we solve the housing problem of our people. I will not let a foreigner buy the real estate that my people need for shelter. This disgrace will end."

Kılıçdaroğlu also stated that he does not care to be called discriminatory or racist and added, “When I send the refugees to their home countries in 2 years, house prices will stabilize.”

Kılıçdaroğlu stated that excessive rent increases is happening because of (President) "Erdoğan capitalism."

"Within a year, rent prices increased by 197 percent. While the minimum wage is 8,500 liras, the average rent of a house is 7,400 liras," he added.

Kılıçdaroğlu also said the Housing Development Administration (TOKİ) was being used for purposes other than its intended purpose. "TOKİ, which built more than one million houses in the 15 years between 1984-1999, built only 506,861 houses in the last 20 years."

He stated that the government has been using TOKİ for patronage and to flow the state resources to the allied business groups rather than provide housing for the poor. 

He also reminded that the rate of home ownership has declined from 75% in 2002 to 55% at present and proposed a social housing project to provide affordable accommodation for low income citizens.