Despite Court Rulings, Massive TOKİ Projects Advance Around Kanal Istanbul

April 2025 IPA report highlights ongoing construction near Sazlıdere Dam, raising concerns over ecological destruction and earthquake preparedness

A new report by the Istanbul Planning Agency (IPA) for April 2025 reveals that construction around the Kanal Istanbul project continues to accelerate despite multiple court rulings annulling related zoning plans. Nearly 25,000 housing units are being planned with an investment exceeding ₺65 billion, and construction machinery has already begun work near the Sazlıdere Dam.

Legal Obstacles Ignored, Construction Push Persists

According to the report, development projects in the region are progressing in defiance of legal decisions. The Mass Housing Administration (TOKİ) organized 28 separate tenders between December 16, 2024, and January 31, 2025, for projects targeting Arnavutköy’s Boyalık, Baklalı, Sazlıbosna, and Hacımaşlı neighborhoods. Contract processes officially began on March 17, 2025.

As of April 5, heavy machinery was seen operating on agricultural land within the basin of Sazlıdere, the report notes.

₺65 Billion in Investment, Tens of Thousands of New Residents

The IPA warned that the massive housing projects are threatening the region’s farmlands, forests, pastures, and protected natural sites. These developments, the agency says, pose a critical threat to both Istanbul’s ecological balance and water security.

A “No EIA Required” (Environmental Impact Assessment) decision issued on March 13, 2025, has paved the way for construction in six different zones, potentially bringing in over 100,000 new residents around the dam.

İSKİ Withholds Infrastructure Approvals

The Istanbul Water and Sewerage Administration (İSKİ) rejected infrastructure connection requests related to the ongoing projects. IPA’s report states that construction permits were issued without ISKI’s approval, and the agency has denied access to drinking water, wastewater, and rainwater systems for these developments.

Relevant institutions have also issued official warnings regarding public harm risks tied to the project.

Court Decisions Overruled on Technicality, Not Substance

The report recalls that the 2019 environmental plan and reserve zoning decisions were annulled by Istanbul’s 5th Administrative Court in December 2024. However, the Istanbul Regional Administrative Court overturned the annulment on February 4, 2025, citing procedural grounds, not the findings of expert assessments.

The court reversal did not refute the expert evaluations, which highlighted major concerns about water basin management, agricultural degradation, and rural displacement.

Climate Risks and Earthquake Readiness Undermined

The expert reports emphasized the project’s adverse environmental effects and warned that climate change risks were being overlooked.

The IPA also criticized the allocation of vast resources to Kanal Istanbul instead of addressing pressing urban priorities, such as earthquake resilience.

“The resources allocated to Kanal Istanbul should be redirected to the seismic retrofitting of approximately 1 million at-risk housing units in preparation for the anticipated major Marmara earthquake,” the report concluded.