ABSTRACT
This chapter analyzes the squatters and the nature of informality in Istanbul. Informal settling has been a process since the beginning of industrialization in developing countries. The uniqueness of the informal urbanization processes, including land acquisition and house construction, controlling and defending their living environments, and consolidation afterwards reaches its pinnacle when a neighborhood becomes a unit (mahalle). The pattern of the informal settlements is typically decided by the topography; yet the choice of location is based on proximity of available public land to the potential place of employment. The Squatter Housing Law (Gecekondu Law) demolished the run-down squatter houses, rehabilitated most gecekondus which are in a state of improvement, and prevented the formation of future gecekondus by building social housing. Amendments to this Law during the following resulted in the unchecked growth of squatter housing up to today. The eviction policy was not successful because the rural-urban migrants were necessary to the industrialization of the city by increasing the labor pool. Policy lagged behind the facts in providing affordable housing in the formal housing market for the newcomers. Furthermore, squatters improved their living spaces continuously, and informal urbanization thus continued until the early millennium.
