İstanbul’s Beyoğlu Municipality reveals excessive debt from AKP era
In the aftermath of the March 31 local elections, where several municipalities transitioned from the ruling party to the opposition, the newly acquired administrations continue to disclose the debt burdens inherited from previous management.
One such municipality is İstanbul’s Beyoğlu Municipality, which shifted from the Justice and Development Party (AKP) to the Republican People's Party (CHP). Located within the boundaries of İstanbul's vibrant and touristy areas, including Taksim and Galata, Beyoğlu had been under the control of the AKP and its predecessors since 1994.
According to a statement posted on the municipality's X account, the total debt of the municipality stands at 919,5 million liras (1 US dollars = 32.26 Turkish liras). The breakdown of the debt includes 197,5 million liras owed to public institutions and organizations, 158,1 million liras owed to companies, and a debt of 503 million liras attributed to municipal corporations.
Additionally, the municipality's credit debt to banks amounts to 21,2 million liras, while the guarantee debt is 39,5 million liras.
The statement further reveals that in the past five months, 12 real estate properties owned by the municipality were sold for a total of 198.4 million liras.
İstanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu, a member of the CHP, secured re-election with an 11.6% lead over the AKP candidate in the election. Also, CHP increased its control over the district municipalities in İstanbul from 14 to 26.
Turkey's local election in numbers: AKP lost 195 municipalities, CHP doubled its presence
Here are debts of some of the municipalities taken over from the AKP, their nationalist allies MHP, and the trustee-led administrations in Kurdish cities:
- Denizli (AKP to CHP): 11.1 billion liras
- Mardin (Trustee administration to DEM Party): 3.5 billion liras
- Siirt (Trustee administration to DEM Party): 456.8 million liras
- Kütahya (MHP to CHP): 1.7 billion liras
- Amasya (AKP to CHP): 529.3 million liras
- Kilis (AKP to CHP): 502.4 million liras
- Bartın (MHP to CHP): 251.3 million liras
- Sancaktepe, Istanbul (AKP to CHP): 1.9 billion liras
- Gölbaşı, Ankara (MHP to CHP): 1.1 billion liras
- Alanya, Antalya (MHP to CHP): 1.1 billion liras
- Ortahisar, Trabzon (AKP to CHP): 800 million liras
- Akdeniz, Mersin (Trustee administration to DEM Party): 800 million liras
- Keşan, Edirne (AKP to CHP): 483.3 million liras
- Kaş, Antalya (AKP to CHP): 400 million liras
- Mustafakemalpaşa, Bursa (AKP to CHP): 328.9 million liras
- Suruç, Urfa (Trustee administration to DEM Party): 177 million liras
- Kiraz, Izmir (AKP to CHP): 332.1 million liras
- Elbistan, Maraş (AKP to CHP): 334.9 million liras
- Dinar, Afyonkarahisar (AKP to CHP): 125.9 million liras
- Ürgüp, Nevşehir (AKP to CHP): 68.9 million liras
- Bolvadin, Afyonkarahisar (AKP to MHP): 424 million liras
- Gediz, Kütahya (AKP to MHP): 262.7 million liras
- Tavas, Denizli (AKP to CHP): 61.1 million liras
- Yalvaç, Isparta (MHP to İYİ Party): 47.7 million liras
- İnebolu, Kastamonu (AKP to MHP): 45.9 million liras
(VC/VK)