TOKİ faces debt allegations and infrastructure disputes in Turkey

The Housing Development Administration of Turkey (TOKİ) is facing allegations of exceeding 700 billion lira in debt and failing to make progress payments to contractors. Some contractors claim they have not received payments for four months, leading to financial difficulties in covering construction costs. While TOKİ officials have denied the 700 billion lira debt figure and stated that payments are not significantly delayed, the discrepancy between official statements and contractor claims has drawn attention.

The financial tension is underscored by the death of Levent Cankurtaran, owner of İmaj Yapı and a TOKİ contractor, who reportedly faced severe financial distress due to unpaid receivables.

In a separate issue involving TOKİ projects, approximately 3,932 completed housing units, along with social facilities in Arnavutköy, Baklalı, remain uninhabitable. Although the construction is finished and electricity is provided, the Istanbul Water and Sewerage Administration (İSKİ) has refused to provide water and sewage connections. The Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (İBB) has taken the matter to court, citing concerns regarding water basin regulations and zoning non-compliance. This delay has left an estimated 13,000 people unable to move into their new homes.