18.07.2026 09:00
Deputies whose expenses are covered by the state and who have double salaries amounting to half a million lira monthly have established a cooperative to own affordable apartments in Istanbul's Esenyurt district. While the project catalog featuring 1+1 apartments at the same price (1.8 million TL) as social housing built by the state for low-income individuals was distributed to deputies in parliament, cooperative chairman Ali Temür from the AK Party argued that the project is open to everyone and that land negotiations are ongoing.
At a time when citizens are struggling to find rental housing and facing a shelter crisis, members of parliament, whose many expenses including mobile phone bills are covered by the state, have established a cooperative to acquire cheap homes. Details of the project have emerged, revealing that deputies with monthly incomes reaching half a million lira will obtain luxury apartments in Istanbul at prices comparable to social housing built for low-income citizens.
MONTHLY INCOMES 512 THOUSAND TL!
The eye-watering salary table of MPs and their early retirement advantages are back on the agenda. Under the current system, the updated financial status of MPs is as follows:
- MP Salary: 310,336 TL
- Retired MP Pension: 201,677 TL
Since anyone who serves as an MP for just 2 years qualifies for a lifetime pension, 450 out of the 600 MPs in the Turkish Grand National Assembly receive both their MP salary and pension simultaneously. In this situation, the total monthly income of these MPs reaches exactly 512 thousand lira.
CONTINGENT FOR MPs AT LOW-INCOME PRICES
The fact that MPs with millions in income are trying to own homes in Istanbul at prices comparable to social housing—built by the state in the most remote areas for low-income citizens and starting at 1.8 million lira—has sparked major backlash. The housing cooperative named "Parlamenterler Gölvadi Bahçeşehir," established under the chairmanship of AK Party Giresun MP Ali Temür, has set its sights on a portion of a massive 123-decare plot in Istanbul's Esenyurt district.
CATALOG COMPETITION: 1+1 APARTMENTS 1.8 MILLION TL
According to a report in Sözcü, the price list in the "representative project" catalog sent to all MPs remained well below market conditions. The apartment prices outlined in the draft project are listed as follows:
- 1+1 Apartments: 1.8 Million TL
- 2+1 Apartments: 2.8 Million TL
- 3+1 Apartments: 4.1 Million TL
"IT'S NOT CHEAP, ANYONE INTERESTED CAN JOIN"
Following the avalanche of backlash on social media, the project's lead figure, AK Party Giresun MP Ali Temür, responded to the criticism. Stating that he had previously established a similar cooperative in Ankara, Temür said the Istanbul project emerged from the requests of some MPs and bureaucrats.
In his defense, Temür stated: "We are currently negotiating with the landowner and trying to lower the price. Our membership recruitment for the cooperative is ongoing. Anyone can join; it's not exclusive to MPs, our doors are open. As reported, it's not 'cheap housing' at all—there are no constructed homes yet. We have set our sights on one-third of the land. If we reach a full agreement with the landowner, we will hand it over to a contractor in exchange for a share of the units."
The fact that MPs, despite their high salaries, are seeking affordable housing through such an organization has reignited public debates about "equal opportunity."