Injunction lifted for İzmir Bus Terminal, paving way for eviction

A significant legal development has paved the way for the eviction and subsequent renovation of the İzmir Bus Terminal, a facility that has long been a chronic issue for the city. The İzmir 23rd Civil Court of First Instance has lifted a preliminary injunction that had previously suspended eviction proceedings.

The court's decision, which has now been finalized in favor of the İzmir Metropolitan Municipality after review by the Court of Cassation, means the terminal's operations will be taken over by the municipality. Immediate renovation work is planned to bring the facility up to a standard befitting İzmir.

The legal process began with a build-operate-transfer agreement signed in 1997 between the İzmir Metropolitan Municipality and the plaintiff company İZOTAŞ. An addendum in 1999 set the operating period at 25 years, ending on December 14, 2023. The plaintiff company sued to extend the contract by seven years due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

While the initial court ruling in September 2023 temporarily halted eviction, a later decision in January 2025 rejected the lawsuit but allowed the injunction to continue until the verdict became final. Appeals were rejected, and the Court of Cassation ultimately upheld the ruling in favor of the municipality. The final lifting of the injunction occurred on August 4, 2026.