The Kars Newspaper
Necmi Kadıoğlu, the former Mayor of Esenyurt, drew significant attention with his statements during a program he attended. Evaluating the social structure, population profile, and urbanization process of the district, Kadıoğlu stated that the majority of Esenyurt's population consists of citizens who migrated from Anatolia. Expressing that adapting to city life is a cultural process that takes time, the former mayor argued that this demographic structure lies at the root of the incidents occurring in Esenyurt. Kadıoğlu's words sparked debate when he said, "A person from Kars living in Esenyurt is different from a person from Kars living in Beykoz. The one in Esenyurt has still not adapted to city life. The youth are adapting, but unfortunately, the older generation is not. Look at them in the summer, they all go back to their villages." Responding to the intense criticism regarding the dense urbanization during his tenure and accusations of "burying Esenyurt in concrete," Kadıoğlu implied that there were no green spaces in the district in the past and referred to the construction situation in the neighboring district of Büyükçekmece. Stating that high-rise buildings could not be built in Büyükçekmece because it is a landslide zone, Kadıoğlu noted that such construction was carried out in Esenyurt because the ground conditions were favorable.