Mayor Altay: “One of Turkey’s finest industrial sites has been established in Konya through local and central government cooperation”

Konya Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Uğur İbrahim Altay, along with members of the press, reviewed the progress of the work at the New Industrial Site, where the Old Industrial and Karatay Industrial sites will be relocated, now in its final stages.

Following the inspection, Mayor Altay provided statements to the press about the latest status of the project. He stated that they conducted a field visit to observe the final stage of relocating the Old Industrial Site and Karatay Industrial Site, a long-discussed and highly anticipated project for Konya.

Mayor Altay noted that the Old Industrial Site and Karatay Industrial Site had become unsuitable for Konya due to their outdated infrastructure, lack of green spaces, parking issues, and other challenges. He stated, “We have reached the final stage of relocating this structure, which no longer benefits our city and causes traffic, environmental, and various forms of pollution, to a brand-new, modern industrial area. This project stands as one of the best examples of cooperation between local government and the central administration, resulting in an outstanding achievement.”

Sharing that the project has now reached its final stage, Mayor Altay stated, “We are now discussing the timeline for delivering the shops. Hopefully, in 2025, we will hand over these shops to their rightful owners and complete the relocation process of the Old Industrial Site and Karatay Industrial Site. In fact, out of our four-phase project, three phases are now at the delivery stage, with only about 8% of the work remaining in the fourth phase. We could not conduct the lottery draw before completing the provisional acceptance process due to workplace safety concerns. We are currently consulting with the ministry regarding the lottery process, and once it is finalized, we will proceed as soon as possible. This will allow us to hand over 2,690 shops and 134 business units to our tradespeople.”

Mayor Altay also highlighted that the New Industrial Site serves as a model project in the field of zero waste, stating, “With parking spaces in front of each shop that can accommodate two vehicles, green areas, and social facilities, this has become one of the finest industrial sites in Turkey. Additionally, under the directives of Minister of Environment, Urbanization, and Climate Change, Murat Kurum, we are working with the ministry to make Turkey’s first Zero Waste Industrial Site. Hopefully, we will establish an exemplary industrial area in waste management as well, bringing a pioneering project to Konya.

I would also like to extend my gratitude to our tradespeople. This has been a massive undertaking—securing agreements with more than 2,800 rightful owners, finalizing contracts, and overseeing the process. Yet, we have successfully carried out a large-scale urban transformation in a way that befits Konya, achieving a great consensus without any issues.”