Turkish housing agency awards 4 billion lira worth tenders for nation's gardens in 2022

Turkey's state-run construction giant TOKİ has struck deals for the construction of several “nation's gardens” this year, amounting to a cost of over 4 billion liras.

Duvar English

Turkey's Public Housing Development Administration (TOKİ) has awarded tenders and agreements worth over 4 billion liras for the construction of “nation's gardens” (millet bahçesi) in the first seven months of this year, according to reporting by daily Sözcü.

The latest two agreements signed concern the construction of Istanbul Üsküdar Nation's Garden and Mardin Kızıltepe Nation's Garden, which will cost the state respectively 100.2 million liras and 108.7 million liras. These two agreements were signed between July 27 - Aug. 2.

Among the other agreements signed in 2022 is a tender held to turn Istanbul's old Atatürk Airport into a nation's garden. The project will have a cost of 2.1 billion liras. The plan has been slammed by the opposition as part of efforts to appease investors.

Nation's gardens are constructed throughout Turkey as part of a project that President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan launched in 2018. Instead of naming them “city garden” or “city park,” the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) chooses the term “nation’s garden” for these places.