02.06.2026 21:42
With Kocaelispor's promotion to the Super League, the privately owned land next to the Kocaeli Stadium, which has come back into the spotlight, has been withdrawn from sale by its owner. Speaking about the land that had previously sparked controversy, owner Aziz Bulut stated that he removed the for-sale sign and abandoned the decision to sell, saying, "When the stadium was being built, I didn't come here and construct a barn. Unnecessary articles appeared in both local and national media, so I changed my mind. I set the price of the property at 16 million."
The massive Kocaeli Stadium, built at a cost of millions of lira for Kocaelispor to play its matches, has once again hit Turkey's agenda. However, this time the agenda is not about successes on the green field, but about the unresolved barn land crisis right next to the stadium.
HE DOES NOT SELL HIS LAND RIGHT NEXT TO THE STADIUM
Kocaeli Metropolitan Municipality had long been trying to purchase the property next to the stadium to create parking lots and landscaping around it, but the landowner, Aziz Bulut, effectively rejected the offers. According to a report by Özgür Kocaeli Newspaper, it was previously claimed that the property owner demanded an astronomical sum of 100 million TL from the municipality for this 4,304 square meter area (including a house, barn, and land).
"I WAS HERE BEFORE THE STADIUM WAS BUILT"
Landowner Aziz Bulut said, "I did not come and build a barn here while the stadium was being built. I was here before the stadium was built. They came and built the stadium right next to my land. Nobody told me anything to leave."
"I TOOK THE SIGN DOWN, I DECIDED NOT TO SELL"
Angered by the reactions and reports about him, the landowner announced that he had removed the 'for sale' sign. Expressing his grievances, Bulut said, "I took the sign down. I will not sell, I changed my mind. Both local and national media published unnecessary articles, so I changed my mind. I set the price of the house at 16 million. I have other properties elsewhere, but I was going to develop this one too. When absurd news came out, I changed my mind."