Gecekondu (squatting) has been the dominant form of urbanization in the major cities of Turkey, especially Istanbul, just as it has been in most developing countries. Istanbul receives an estimated 500,000 migrants each year from the rural areas of the country, most of whom become squatters. The old city is surrounded by gecekondu settlements, which include sixty-five percent of all buildings in Istanbul. In these areas the dominant economic activities are as informal as the housing.