The ‘Benevolent Hand’ of the Turkish State: Housing Development Agency (TOKI)), State Restructuring and Capital Accumulation in Turkey
As it is accepted in both international organizations and nation states, housing for the urban poor is an urgent issue which cannot be left exclusively to market mechanisms. It is accepted that nation states have primary duties towards providing affordable houses for the lower income groups. This project reveals the changing role and structure of the state toward housing policies for urban poor with reference to shifts in development strategies in the Turkish context. There is lack of knowledge of the particular role played by the state in affordable housing market under development strategies. My research aims to fill this gap by
proposing historical and state-centered approach. Additionally, although Turkish state attempts to solve housing problem, at least in the discursive level, it creates a widespread social discontent in the big cities. From a bottom-up perspective, my project aims to articulate possible democratic ways to participation by squatter dwellers into the urban regeneration projects. That is, the research will make local people who are affected by urban regeneration projects and their demands visible which is crucial for ensuring social justice in public housing management.
Greg Albo
Istanbul Technical University
Sociology
York University
Globalink Research Award