Politis

Outcry Continues in Occupied Territories Over Land Allocation to Turkish University

Published March 19, 2026, 17:19
Outcry Continues in Occupied Territories Over Land Allocation to Turkish University

The outcry continues in the occupied territories over the decision of the “parliament” to grant 3,500 acres of forest land to the Istanbul Technical University (ITU) in Karpasia. Environmental organizations and political forces are criticizing the occupation administration and opposition parties that voted in favor of the amendment. The amendment allows the legalization of the grant, simultaneously rendering the pending court proceedings ineffective. In total, the area being granted amounts to 6,000 acres, of which 3,500 are forest land and 500 have already been expropriated. The decision has caused disagreements even within the same parties, such as the Republican Turkish Party (RTP), where members who had opposed the grant eventually voted in favor. Critics argue that granting an area of this size cannot be justified by educational needs, as the land-to-student ratio in the proposed Karpasia facility is disproportionately large compared to the ITU facilities in Istanbul. The president of the Social Democracy Party (SDP) described the decision as “a disgrace to the entire parliament” and called for an immediate review of the policy of managing forest lands.