A Middle Eastern Sight: Street Bazaars Still a Problem in Turkey

Street bazaars are still commonly seen in many cities across Turkey. Of course, the tradition of neighborhood bazaars is a cultural heritage passed down from past generations, but the fact that this tradition must be adapted to today’s urban structure and living conditions is overlooked. While some municipalities have acknowledged this and moved neighborhood bazaars to designated areas, unfortunately, most still allow them to be set up between the streets. The result? A complete Middle Eastern image...

On bazaar days, the streets become gridlocked. Traffic flow is disrupted, and vehicles get stuck between narrow streets. If an emergency occurs, it becomes impossible for ambulances or fire trucks to access these areas. As citizens, we are forced to ignore this disorder and the lack of safety. However, especially in major cities, these situations need to be planned for, and measures need to be taken. We can’t help but ask ourselves: when will we adapt to the concept of a modern city?

After the bazaars end, the streets turn into literal dumps. Yes, the municipalities clean up these streets, but this brings another problem: these cleaning activities end up as unnecessary expenses that come out of taxpayers’ pockets. Why are we so quick to waste our streets, tax revenues, and resources? The funds spent on cleaning these areas could be used for other permanent projects, so why are we wasting time with temporary fixes?

On the other hand, if these bazaars were organized and controlled like modern neighborhood bazaars, many of these problems could be resolved. In our ongoing process of urban modernization, these kinds of issues need to be addressed. We expect our municipalities to consider the impact of street bazaars on traffic and environmental cleanliness and to develop more permanent and sustainable solutions.

Only when real steps are taken in this matter will we truly feel like we are living in a modern city. Otherwise, we will continue to live in a chaotic order, only appearing modern on the surface.