Gecekondu of İstanbul
• “Put up in one night”
• Definition- A habitat of
one or two rooms built
at night on the
periphery of a large city
without permission
Characteristics
• Built overnight with
makeshift materials
• Legal loophole
• Built on public,
ownerless lands
Origins
• First appeared in 1940’s
• Result of Urbanization
occuring at faster rate
than industrialization
• Istanbul’s population
grew from 1 million in
1950 to 5 million in
1980 and 10 million in
2000
Locations
• Largest gecekondu
commuinities in Ankara,
Izmir, Istanbul
• First built in city, later
on periphery
• Reminiscent of
Ottoman proximity of
poor and wealthy
Politics and Gecekondu
• Large Population=Large
Source of Votes
• Politicians and Political
Parties’ efforts to gain
loyalty of gecekondu
residents
• Gecekondu influence in
elections
Precarious Living
• Services depend on
stage of development
• Initially without services
• Water, sanitation, and
electricity obtained
illegaly
• High risk of damage
during earthquakes
• Distrust of professional
contractors/engineers
• Inability to pay for
adequate services
Responses to Gecekondus
• Initial attempts to
demolish
• Incorporation and
prevention
• Developers’ purchases
and promises
References
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Doğan, Kuban. Istanbul An Urban History: Byzantion, Constantinopolis, Istanbul. Istanbul:the
Economic and Social History Foundation of Turkey, 1996
Keyder, Caglar. “Globalization and Social Exclusion in Istanbul”. International Journal of Urban
and Regional Research. 29.1 (2005). 124-134
Saraçgil, Ayşe. “The Gecekondu and Turkish Modernity”. Environmental Design: Journal of the
Islamic Environmental Design Research Centre . 1-2 (1997-98-98). 104-107
Özler, Ş. İlgü. “Politics of the Gecekondu in Turkey: The political choices of urban squatters in
national elections”. Turkish Studies. 1. 2 (2009). 39-58
Leitmann, Josef ;Baharoglu, Deniz. “Reaching Turkey’s Spontaneous Settlements: The
Institutional Development of Infrastructure Provision”. International Planning Studies. 4.2
(1999). 195-212
Green, Rebekah A. “Constructing Safety:Unauthorized Housing and EarthquakeVulnerability
in Istanbul,Turkey”. Megacities: Resilience and Social Vulnerability. United Nations
University:Institute for Environment and Human Security (number 10). (2008)