Neriman Polat

Neriman was born in 1968 in Istanbul. Lives and works in Istanbul.

This work was dedicated to the people who died at the flood disaster
in Samsun, in July 4, 2012. Self Transformation Real Estate has
been searching lifes of people being evacuated from their squatter’s
houses, lost their streets and being placed in Toki* dwellings under
the name of “Urban Renewal”, since 2010. This fake real estate office,
concerting with real information, aims to make experiences clear with
documents, by basing on a real estate agency applied by people release
their houses in Halkali Bezirganbahce Toki, Istanbul because of not
affording to the debt.
It had opened its first branch on Galata Tatar Beyi Street, in May
2010, within in the scope of exhibition “Soft City”. In the same
exhibition, a poster had been prepared and hung for Umut Akdogan
(9), fell and died in a cesspool while playing with his friends at Tuzla
Toki. Presently, a new branch is going to be opened in Canakkale after
Samsun disaster.

13 people lost their lives at flood disaster in July 4, 2012, in Samsun/
Canik. 6 people, of 4 are child, because of not been able to escape
from basement floor, died inauspiciously at Kuzey Yildizi Houses of
Toki, constructed on stream bed (Kenan Yazici 34, Mucahit Yazici
14, Bedirhan Yazici 10, Huseyin Yilmaz 1,5 ve Abdurrahman Yilmaz
5, their father Aziz Yilmaz). However, French windowed- Yildiz
Project was promising a modern living space. Some of the newspaper
headings were "Sel Felaketi değil, Toki öldürdü" (Not Flood but Toki
Killed), "Kentsel Ölüm" (Urban Death) , “Toki Ankara'dan çiziyor"
(Toki Draws from Ankara), "Toki Direkt Allah'a Bağlı" (Toki Directly
Conncected to God)… Calamity in Samsun had presented Toki’s lack
of inspection. Quickly built houses had been constructed on stream
bed in a city where encountering with flood is probable, and basement
floor building license had been allowed in these houses. The case is still
being investigated by the prosecution office.

* Toki founded in 1984 to meet the dwelling requirement of low and medium
income groups. It showed big alteration by means of the legal amendments
made in 2004. It became a privileged and excepted corporation. It works as if
it were a company, but takes advantages of public rights.