Denizli Tomaş İş Hanı shopkeepers protest utility cuts

Shopkeepers and property owners at the Tomaş İş Hanı in the Merkezefendi district of Denizli are protesting the disconnection of electricity and water services as part of an urban transformation project. The building, which houses 156 shops, is currently the subject of two ongoing legal cases.

Property owners claim that the utility cuts, carried out under the supervision of law enforcement, are irregular because a court hearing is scheduled for November 12 and a five-person expert committee has not yet completed its investigation. Owners allege that a majority stake of 75 percent was achieved by utilizing shares from five floors that were planned in projects but never actually constructed, an action they claim is an attempt to dispossess them of their property.

Local business owners expressed concern that the move to prepare the building for demolition could prevent the court-appointed experts from completing their technical reports, thereby undermining the judicial process.