Shopkeeper Devastated After 95-Square-Meter Bakery Replaced by 30-Square-Meter Shop

Selahattin İriağaç, a baker for 40 years in Malatya's Yeşilyurt district, faces a significant livelihood crisis after his 95-square-meter bakery was demolished as part of a reserve area project following the devastating February earthquakes.

İriağaç expressed his deep distress, stating, "They took my 95-square-meter bakery and gave me a 30-square-meter shop." He previously employed four workers and now finds himself in a space barely large enough to stand in. "I am experiencing great hardship," he lamented.

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They took my 95-square-meter bakery and gave me a 30-square-meter shop. I am experiencing great hardship.

The allocated 30-square-meter shop presents further challenges, as İriağaç argues it is physically unsuitable for operating a bakery. "What will I do with the 30-square-meter shop they gave me? This is useless for my work. It doesn't even have a toilet. How can I bake here?" he questioned, highlighting the impracticality of the new space.

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What will I do with the 30-square-meter shop they gave me? This is useless for my work. It doesn't even have a toilet. How can I bake here?

He further revealed that the location of his former, well-situated bakery has been given to someone else, while he received the inadequate replacement. İriağaç has taken legal action, filing a lawsuit a week ago, and is awaiting the court's review. He has also met with officials from the Provincial Directorate of Environment, Urbanization, and Climate Change, who reportedly told him, "This is all you are entitled to."

İriağaç is appealing for a space that is suitable for running a bakery, allowing him to continue the profession he has practiced for four decades. His case underscores the difficult circumstances faced by many small business owners in the aftermath of the earthquakes, as they navigate reconstruction and relocation efforts.

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This is all you are entitled to.