Job Discussion Forums

[lovelace]

Does anyone know if there are any regulations about businesses in residential areas? I know, don't laugh, this is Istanbul. The reason I ask is there's a firm in the basement beneath our flat and they've been doing building work for the past two weeks. Before they started this, it was a printing press and there was noise but a little bit quieter and at least regular, so you knew what to expect. Now one day they're breaking up concrete floors, the next there's some terrible noise like we're in an aircraft hangar.
Our street has a few shops but it's not an industrial area or anything, it's residential.
I am so tired of not being able to relax in my home. Does anyone have any info? Called the council but my Turkish wasn't up to it and nobody speaks English....

[dmb]

lovelace, I asked a lawyer this morning. It depends on two things.
1) which area of town you live.
2) your morals*


* I also heard a story a week ago.

One of my students has recently carried out building work on his house in Emirgan. He decided 'sod it' did the building work and paid a bribe to someone. He then told me about his friend(one street away) who decided to get planning permission and go down the legal way. He has been refused and can't do any work. He is having regular checks to make sure that no work is done. Unless he pays his bribe, he can't do sh*t.


Who says crime doesn't pay?

[lovelace]

Thanks dmb, that's very kind. Actually, I did go to have a word with them yesterday. And, er, then got someone from my school to phone and get the bits of the conversation I couldn't understand - i.e. the most important bits (why can I never grasp the crucial information in Turkish, I don't know, now I know how my students feel. ) Anyway, they say the noise is worse 'cos they're installing sound insulation! Ha ha. Apparently someone else recently complained and the council came to look and said they had to.. after another week the noise levels will be reduced by 70%. Part of me will believe it when I hear it, as it were, but after months of disturbance it will be great if it's just a little less than before.
There's something about living in Turkey that scales down your hopes, isn't there?