Erdoğan wages war against zoning amnesty despite his gov’t enacting it nine times

Even though his own AKP government was the one that passed zoning amnesty laws nine times, President Erdoğan has tried to distance himself from those moves by saying illegal and unsafe construction will be considered as an “inexcusable crime” in the new constitution. “We will further corner them (builders of illegal and unsafe construction). There can be no amnesty for that,” he said, as if the previously enacted construction amnesties belonged to another government.

Thursday April 13 2023 01:53 pm

Duvar English

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has commented on the zoning amnesty laws saying illegal and unsafe constructions will be included in crimes that cannot be granted amnesty.

Erdoğan made the comments late on April 12 in an interview broadcast live on TV.

Although his own ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) government was the one that enacted zoning amnesty laws nine times, Erdoğan’s remarks sounded as if those moves belonged to another government.

He said that they will consider zoning amnesty as an “inexcusable crime” in the new constitution that will be drafted after the elections. “There is an article in the constitution – it should be the 50th as far as I can remember – which covers ‘catalog crimes’ (inexcusable crimes), and that (construction amnesty) will be included in it in the new period in the parliament (with the new constitution). And we will further corner them (builders of illegal and unsafe constructions). There can be no amnesty for that,” he said.

Main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) vice chair Oğuz Kaan Salıcı shared a footage of Erdoğan uttering these remarks on Twitter and wrote: “Look at the statements of Erdoğan who enacts zoning amnesty whenever he hits against a wall and speaks of it in a pompous way. It is as if he is preparing to be the on the opposition side.”

Her başı sıkıştığında imar affı çıkaran, bunu da gururla anlatan Erdoğan'ın söylediklerine bakın.

Muhalefette olmaya hazırlık yapıyor gibi… pic.twitter.com/eKcTAo4CDU
— Oğuz Kaan Salıcı (@oguzksalici) April 12, 2023

Erdoğan is known to have praised his government's amnesty laws many times in his speeches. He even boasted about these laws in earthquake-hit provinces in 2019, saying they "solved the problems" of the citizens.

The last time that the AKP enacted a zoning amnesty law was in 2018, despite experts’ several warnings that such a move puts people’s lives at risk due to potential earthquakes.

Amnesty laws pave the way for illegal construction and lack of supervision. If a building is granted an amnesty and the relevant fine is paid, the structure is not demolished even though it does not meet the safety and code requirements.