The Leaning Towers of Rize

türkçe links to original Turkish article

(Milliyet Newspaper, 18 January 2018)


This doesn't help when you wake up with a hangover.

In Rize, the controversy over buildings built on a landfill continues.  The
gradual leaning of 4 buildings housing 94 apartments in the Engindere
neighborhood is causing great concern.  While some homeowners have
tried to bolster their homes with iron girders, others have vacated their flats.

One homeowneer, Sabri Yılmaz, stated that "there are a lot of buildings
like this in Rize and the people living in such buildings are anxious. Some
people are having cement poured anew to bolster their floors."  On the
other hand, Ramazan Koçal is not overly concerned. He said that "there
may be a problem in the future.  There are some cracks in my flat but
there are more in the upper flats.  The normal rent would be 700 TL but
in this situation I pay only 500 TL.  Officials came and put some iron
girders on the building to forestall cracks on the balconies."


                      Life is all about balance.

Former Rize Mayor Halil Bakırcı explained that "Deniz Sitesi (one of
the leaning apartment buildings) is standing on a prayer.  Our problem
here is that sea water is encroaching onto the shore and the iron in some
buildings built on landfill is wearing out so these buildings are lucky to
still be standing.  They may collapse as time goes by."


Rize's mayor sees tourism potential, based on another leaner's
success in this sector.