Türkiye's Housing Development Administration (TOKI) held a ceremony on 2 October 2006 to mark World Habitat Day, observed globally this year under the theme "Cities, Magnets of Hope."
TOKI president Erdogan Bayraktar addressed attendees, noting that inadequate housing remains a serious challenge across numerous countries, including India, Egypt, Pakistan, and Ukraine. He credited TOKI's urban transformation projects with helping residents gain access to safer, healthier living conditions.
Istanbul Metropolitan Planning chief Prof. Dr. Huseyin Kaptan highlighted the scale of the city's growth, saying between 300,000 and 400,000 people arrive in Istanbul each year and settle without legal authorization. He noted the city was originally designed for a population of 5 million but now exceeds 12 million, with 75 percent of its settlements considered illegal.
Kaptan warned that projections place Istanbul's population at 22 to 25 million by the republic's centennial, making it twice the size of London, three times Paris, and seven times Rome. He described such growth as a sign of urban dysfunction rather than development, and said planners are committed to capping the population at 16 million while prioritizing water resource protection and limits on further industrial expansion.
Historical summary. TurkishPress restated this wire report, first published in October 2006, in its own words.