Grieved Tenants Set Up Platform
The pandemic that emerged at the end of 2019 and the migration caused by the war between Russia and Ukraine affected housing rentals in Antalya. With the migration experienced after the war and the increase in the demand for housing, rents reached exorbitant levels. As a precaution against this situation, some neighborhoods in the city were closed to the residence of foreigners.
However, problems began to arise between landlords and tenants due to the high rents. Some landlords, who wanted to raise the rent but couldn’t exceed the 25 percent set rate, began resorting to different ways to evict tenants. Processes such as eviction commitments, house purchases and eviction proceedings were initiated, which were signed while the house was preserved.
THEY ARE TRYING TO MAKE THEIR VOICES HEARD
Along with this process, hundreds of tenants suffered victimization and abandoned their homes. Aggrieved tenants came together on social media and formed the ‘Tenant Solidarity Platform’. The number of members of the platform initiative, which started with 4 people, reached 6 thousand. Meeting regularly at Attalos Square in the Muratpaşa district, members of the platform take action to eliminate the grievances they experience and make their voices heard.
“HERE WE CANNOT FEED YOU”
Burcu Özer, a member of the platform describing his process, said: “I’m going to marry my son, leave the house”, when I was a tenant of 1 year. He gave me a month and a half. So I called home, it was really coming out. I couldn’t find a house due to rising rents and exorbitant prices. When they couldn’t find a house, they kept pushing, they came to my door. I heard unwanted words, insults and we were sued. He once said: ‘Give me 6 thousand lira, sit down, we can’t feed you here.’ They said: ‘Go live with your mother and father. I had the house for 1500 lire. It was at normal market prices for that period,” he said.
“THEY RECEIVED THE PAPER FROM THE COURT”
Saying that he increased the rent by 25 percent at the end of a year, Özer said: “He wanted to date the eviction agreement, which I signed with a blank date, but it was not issued. It was called ‘this paperwork’ and already you don’t give a house without signing it. So they filed a writ of foreclosure assigning the date they wanted to the release commitment. While I was looking for a house, they tore up the notice paper that came to my door and I lost the notice period. But I understood when the officers came to my door and threw my belongings out the door,” he said.
“THE PERSON WHO BOUGHT THE HOUSE SENT A NOTICE”
Ergül Kerdige, who said the landlord asked him to vacate the house, said: “We didn’t have any problem with the landlord in terms of rent in the house I live in. The house owner told me to leave saying ‘ya I come’ even though he has another house and lives. I also said I won’t go out. After that he threatened me saying ‘I will sell the house’. Afterwards he sold the house and the buyer sent me a warning and asked me to vacate the house ”.
“FORMALITY SALE CLAIM”
Stating that this situation needs to be dealt with, Kerdige said: “I looked at the sale price of the house and it was shown as 120 thousand lira. It is impossible to find a house in a place like Antalya for this price. There is no house in the surrounding area for less than 2-3 million lira. On paper they are making us victims with this sale made as a formality. He did not ask for a rent increase and asked me to leave directly. “Our state needs to deal with this situation,” he said.
Pakize Yıldırım, who stated that the landlord demanded an exorbitant increase from him, said: “I moved to the house I live in 5 years ago. Until today we talked on the phone and raised the rent. For my rent, which was 1250 lira in April of last year, he said, ‘If you’re going to raise it 100 percent this year and 200 percent next year, sit down, otherwise walk away.’ So I did a 25 percent raise, which is the limit set by the state, and I sent it. He filed a direct eviction lawsuit against me. This case has been going on for almost a year. I don’t know if they will throw me in front of the door today or tomorrow. There are 10 floors in a lot, 5 of them are on trial for the same situation. The real estate agent told me: ‘It will be 10 thousand lire,'” he said.
“WE WERE 4 PEOPLE, WE WERE 6,000 PEOPLE”
Cengiz Kul, one of the platform’s spokespersons, who said they want the voices of victims like them to be heard, said: “Our concern is shelter. This problem has become a bleeding wound in society. Our goal is to make our voice heard. May the state put its hand on your conscience for us. There are thousands of people thrown into the streets. We unite through social networks. At first we were 4 people, now we are 6 thousand people. Our numbers are increasing day by day. We have been pioneers, we want to be an example for people. Foreign immigration must stop now. We believe that these problems will get worse if it is not stopped. We don’t want the state to be against us, we want the state to be with us,” he said. (DHA)