Suadiye kentsel dönüşüm: buying in a rebuilt or older block

Type “Suadiye” into a search box in Turkish and “kentsel dönüşüm” is one of the phrases that follows. Urban renewal is reshaping this part of Kadıköy, and anyone buying here will meet it, either in a newly rebuilt block or in an older one that may be rebuilt later. This guide explains what Suadiye kentsel dönüşüm means in practice and what to check before you buy.

What kentsel dönüşüm is

Kentsel dönüşüm, literally “urban transformation”, is the Turkish process for replacing buildings judged to be at risk, especially in an earthquake. It gained its legal footing in 2012 with Law No. 6306, on the transformation of areas under disaster risk, which introduced the idea of a “risky building” and a route for demolishing and rebuilding it.

For a single apartment block, renewal is often arranged as a kat karşılığı deal: the owners hand the plot to a contractor, who builds a new block and gives them flats in it in return, keeping and selling the rest.

Why Suadiye kentsel dönüşüm is so visible

Suadiye began as a resort of summer houses around the station, opened in 1910. From the late 1960s, after the 1965 condominium law and the zoning plans that followed, those houses were replaced by apartment buildings. Many of the blocks from that boom are now several decades old, and since 2012 Bağdat Caddesi and the surrounding neighbourhoods have been going through renewal.

Residents interviewed by Anadolu Agency in 2023 described an avenue whose skyline had visibly changed, and the noise, dust and traffic that come with years of building work.

Buying in a rebuilt block

A flat in a recently completed building offers construction to current standards and a modern layout. The checks are about the paperwork being finished:

• The occupancy permit (iskan) has been issued, and the flat has its own title deed rather than a share of the land.
• You know whether you are buying from the contractor or from one of the original owners, as that can affect VAT and who handles defects.
• The building management (yönetim) is set up and the aidat is known.
• Neighbouring plots are not about to start their own demolition, or you know roughly when they will.

Buying in an older block

An older flat can mean more space for the money and an established building, but you are also buying a stake in its future. Ask:

• When was it built, and under which earthquake regulation?
• Has a risk assessment been carried out, or have the owners voted on renewal?
• If renewal goes ahead, what would an owner receive in the new building, and where would you live while it is built?
• Is there an agreement with a contractor already, and can you read it?

None of this makes an older flat a bad purchase. It means the price should reflect where the building is in its life, and you should go in knowing what may happen next.

Our approach to Suadiye kentsel dönüşüm

For every flat we show, we tell you which kind of building it is in and what we have found out about its renewal status, from the permit file to any owners’ decisions we can see. If you are already looking at a particular building, send it to us and we will tell you what to ask before you make an offer.