Lake İznik Development Plan Annulled for the Fourth Time

The 1/25,000 scale master development plan covering Lake İznik and its basin has been annulled for the fourth time since 2009. The most recent plan, dated 5 December 2022, was found unlawful by a court decision, and the lake basin is once again without a plan (Başka Gazete).

A short history of the four plans

The planning history of the basin goes back to the Lake İznik Environmental Plan of 1990. Plans dated 5 March 2009, 29 December 2015, 25 February 2020 and 5 December 2022 were prepared thereafter. None of the four passed judicial review. Each annulment also leaves the 1/5,000 and 1/1,000 scale subordinate plans drawn up on its basis without a foundation.

The court’s grounds

The headings that stand out in the reasoning of the decision are reported as follows:

• That the plan is not consistent with the higher-scale Bursa 2020 1/100,000 scale Environmental Plan.
• That an area falling within the Water Conservation Basin was converted to “Industrial Area” use.
• That “Special Industrial Zone”, “Industrial Area”, “Storage Area/Logistics Facility Area” and “Non-Residential Urban Working Areas” uses were introduced in places defined in the higher-scale plan as “Special Crop Areas”, “Other Agricultural Areas” and “Areas Whose Agricultural Character Is to Be Preserved”.
• That the industrial uses on sheet H22B1 of the Orhangazi Plain fall within the boundaries of the Orhangazi Great Plain Conservation Area, and the storage use on sheet H23A2 of the İznik Plain within the boundaries of the İznik Great Plain Conservation Area.
• That using the institutional opinions obtained for the previous plan for the new plan as well is contrary to the Mekânsal Planlar Yapım Yönetmeliği.

Bursa Barosu had also announced, at different stages of the process, the decisions on the stay of execution of the plan (Bursa Barosu).

Building height outside the city walls has changed

Separately from the basin plan, the 1/5,000 scale master development plan revisions for the northern and southern sections outside İznik’s city walls were adopted unanimously by the Bursa Metropolitan Municipal Council. The building height was raised from 9.50 meters to 12.50 meters; it was stated that permits may be obtained for third and fourth floors. The plans were reported to have entered into force after a one-month display period (Emlakkulisi, 8 November 2025).

What it means for the region

Read together, the two developments give this picture: the lake basin has no higher-scale plan, while development rights outside the city walls have increased. Which scale of plan a property is subject to, whether that plan is in force, and its position relative to conservation boundaries can produce different outcomes even on the same street.

For this reason, when buying land or a house in İznik it is advisable to obtain the current development status in writing from the municipality alongside the title deed record. For those who want the process handled on the ground, HANIGA follows these checks on the buyer’s behalf.

You can see the buildings that make up İznik’s present-day fabric in the guide to places to visit, and all the records on the Explore page.