Justice
Land Transfer of the Day: 4.1 Million Acres
Turkey will open formerly protected land (much of it already illegally developed) to builders.
In Turkey, the government will open 4.1 million acres of formerly protected land for purchase, a move that could bring in as much as $15 billion. Bidding began today. Much of the land in question is on the outskirts of major coastal cities like Istanbul and Antalya. And a lot of it is already occupied with buildings, housing, even graveyards.
The decision aims to stem illegal development (and, not inconsequentially, to tax builders and squatters). According to Today's Zaman, an English-language daily based in Istanbul: