In the city center of Antalya, there is a million-dollar garbage dump! Luxury cars have been abandoned to their fate
The vehicles, most of which have been confiscated, have been waiting for many years in the impound lots of Antalya. Luxury cars worth 33 million Turkish lira also attract attention in these parking lots, where vehicles have been waiting for almost 20 years. However, the necessary procedures for selling these vehicles are not carried out, leading to the premature aging of "national wealth.
President of the Antalya Parking Lot Operators and Car Washers Association, Hakan Topçu, states that there are 3,000 vehicles in the three parking lots in the city center, with the majority of them being seized through execution. Topçu indicates that most of these vehicles have been withdrawn from traffic, lack insurance or inspection, or have been seized due to accidents.
"THE NATIONAL WEALTH DECAYING IN THE HEART OF ANTALYA!"
Topçu emphasizes that most of the vehicles in the parking lots are exposed to outdoor conditions and seasonal weather, which leads to their deterioration and economic losses. He argues for the effective use of the six-month rule in the execution bankruptcy law, stating that this would enable quick sales of the vehicles and their contribution to the economy.
Topçu also noted that among these vehicles are those that have been waiting for nearly 20 years. He emphasized that if the owner of a vehicle under attachment can afford to redeem it, they should do so; otherwise, it should be sold by the enforcement agency responsible for its sale after attachment. Topçu stressed that the individual or institution imposing the seizure should be responsible for its sale. He lamented that vehicles have been sitting in depots for 20 years, describing them as a national asset. He underscored that continuing in this manner during a period when our country is undergoing economic mobilization and discussing savings is only burning through our foreign reserves. He said, "A vehicle that has been parked in an open parking lot for two years changes entirely, just like its paint. Vehicles also decay."
"ECONOMY SHOULD BENEFIT"
Topçu emphasizes that 60% of the 3,000 vehicles in the parking lot are idle, while 40% are relatively new and ready for auction as their allotted time has expired. He stresses the importance of quickly selling these vehicles to benefit the economy rather than allowing them to decay, stating, "This will bring money into the state treasury, and if there are taxes and insurance obligations, they will be collected. A solution needs to be found urgently and the process accelerated to benefit the economy. Last year, the physical identification of vehicles by enforcement agencies began in April 2023. So far, 287 vehicles have been identified from our parking lot, 189 of which have been put up for sale, and 50 of these vehicles have been sold, with 5 remaining. We're spinning our wheels. It's been a year, but we haven't managed to sell even one car per day. In my opinion, there needs to be a radical overhaul of the bankruptcy and enforcement law. The law allowing the sale of vehicles not claimed within six months already exists. What matters is that this law becomes effective."
"WRONG TO ATTACH MOTORCYCLES AS SEIZED"
Topçu also discussed the seized motorcycles found in parking lots, stating, "When you attach a motorcycle worth 2,000 liras through seizure, you need to spend 3,000-4,000 liras to put it up for sale. When you add these expenses to the sale price, a 2,000-lira motorcycle must be sold for 8,000 liras. This way, it doesn't sell and continues to deteriorate, ending up as scrap eventually. Attaching motorcycles as seized to parking lots is wrong. If they have economic value, if they are luxurious, they might be sold, but other motorcycles should have a note stating they can be used by citizens."
