Problems of land readjustment process in Turkey

Land readjustment is a method providing alternative potentials for both its implementing authorities and the property owners. Thus, the consistency of the legal framework which determines the way of the method used is of great importance. However, how the method is applied in Turkey is considered problematic. The main problems in the method are; exclusion of property owners from the participative process, calculating the shares in terms of area instead of value, size and scale of readjusted land and that the professions not related to planning processes are given to the authority by legislations. This brings out both a problem of trust in the operations carried out for public interest and a problem of quality in the physical environments generated. Discussing the land readjustment method which is the most applied method in urban planning in Turkey with an emphasis on implementation and action dimensions is the main aim of this study. Hence, the study attempts to display the inadequacies of Turkish Planning Legislation in terms of land readjustment processes, evaluating the Article 18 of Law 3194 and the related legislation 'Regulations for Guiding the Land Readjustments according to the Article 18 of the Development Law".