Mudanya municipal company Mudaş sparks merchant backlash over high‑price shop lease auction

In Mudanya’s Hal Meydanı, a lease auction for shop premises drew sharp criticism from local merchants after the municipal company Mudaş entered the bidding process. The auction saw the historic Çınaraltı Kıraathanesi offered at a record 181,000 TL and a vacant shop near the Hal Camii listed at 150,000 TL, with no bidders for the latter.

Mudaş’s participation raised the rent offers, prompting former tenants to withdraw and prompting merchants to allege a conflict of interest and a breach of fair‑competition rules. The merchants announced plans to take legal action, while the municipality stated that the company’s involvement is legally permissible but contested on competitive grounds. Authorities are expected to issue an official response as the dispute moves toward the courts.