President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said at the mass opening ceremony in Rize that they would inaugurate 26 projects with a total value of approximately 10 billion lira and lay the foundations for 3 investments. Erdoğan said 5 thousand 636 homes had been completed under the TOKİ program and that 1221 homes were still under construction; he added that 766 homes, 4 commercial premises, a mosque, Nation’s Gardens, 27 temporary commercial premises, Isırlık Nature Park, a sports area, the 3rd phase of the bicycle path and Rize Culture Street would be opened. He said 10 schools had been strengthened and that the school and student dormitory in Çamlıhemşin would be put into service. He said the foundations would be laid for 190 commercial premises, a bus terminal, 91 homes and 12 shops, with a total value exceeding 3 billion lira. Preparations have begun for the Rize Southern Ring Road and Tunnels Project. Erdoğan said bed capacity had reached 1235 and that 70% of the 1053-bed city hospital had been completed, adding that they were concerned with service, not the opposition.
Why it matters
The package in Rize presents a broad public investment picture that brings housing, education, healthcare, transportation, commerce and public spaces together within a single framework, rather than constituting a single opening. The joint announcement of completed works, projects whose foundations will be laid and projects whose preparations have begun shows that the city’s investment agenda consists of different stages. In particular, the increase in housing production and hospital capacity shows that public planning related to housing and healthcare services is among the prominent areas of focus. However, questions remain after the ceremony regarding the timetable for completing projects such as the homes still under construction, the city hospital and the ring road, as well as how the announced scope will be implemented.
Background
Erdoğan is not a new name in the FikirPilot archive: we have published 7 news stories mentioning this name in the past 90 days; the latest was dated September 10, 2026.