The late emergence of national industries in Turkey in the 20th century created various challenges for the country's development, including architecture and urbanization. With reference to Lefebvre's notion that "politics" has the "privilege to embrace" the spheres of architecture, urbanism, planning, and the economy, this study analyzes the spread of the informal economy and informal gecekondu housing in Istanbul by making connections to the outcomes of the political and economic shifts in the post-World War II period in Turkey.