Turkish government forces Istanbul Municipality out of managing megacity's largest forest

Duvar English

The Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (İBB) on Dec. 23 was forcibly evicted from Belgrad Forest, located within the boundaries of Sarıyer and Eyüpsultan districts, under police enforcement. 

Early in the morning, 200 riot police officers arrived at the site with an eviction order issued by the Sarıyer District Governor. Entry to the area was restricted, and İBB’s signage was removed from the natural parks inside Istanbul’s largest forest.

The Agriculture and Forestry Ministry stated that sections of the Belgrad Forest, including Bentler, Neşetsuyu, and Kömürcü Bendi nature parks, as well as the entrance gates to the forest, would now be managed by the General Directorate of Nature Conservation and National Parks.

On the other hand, the municipality said, "The management rights of Belgrad Forest were taken away from İBB after many years. The municipality,s request for a 49-year lease renewal before the contract expired was rejected. Despite fulfilling all provisions of the 127-article lease agreement, the contract was not extended."

The main opposition Republican People Party-led (CHP) İBB challenged the refusal to extend the lease in court. The Istanbul 13th Administrative Court initially ruled in favor of the municipality, granting a stay of execution on Nov. 29.

However, on Dec. 12, 2024, the same court reversed its decision. The legal proceedings over the appeal on eviction order for the 5,300-hectare area have been ongoing at the 10th Administrative Court.

İBB explained that it had provided various services to ensure the cleanliness and safety of Belgrad Forest, including security, cleaning, green space maintenance, lighting repairs, parking lot and restroom upkeep, public health, and veterinary services. 

These services, along with investments made since the current mayor took the office in 2019, have cost İBB approximately 450 million Turkish liras ($17.8M)