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Istanbul is undergoing a radical and dramatic restructuring as the authorities seek to bring about a ‘Neoliberal Modernisation’ of the city. This centres on the promotion of market-oriented rationality, and private property. Current plans envisage restructuring huge swathes of the city to bring about functioning land and property markets. The resulting threat to residents and communities has provoked widespread but sporadic resistance. This paper sets the pressure for the social ‘purging’ of Istanbul in the context of the global spread of Authoritarian NeoLiberalism. After describing the main features of the Turkish variant, and noting the parallels to autocratic rule in late Ottoman Istanbul, it traces the impact on local communities. Three cases studies of responses to regeneration plans, drawn from both the European and Asian sides of the city, reveal the diversity of local responses.
Lovering et al. (Tue,) studied this question.