New plans to correct Istanbul silhouette

ANKARA - Radikal

According to Culture and Tourism Minister Ertuğrul Günay, the municipalities will make new plans and correct the silhouette of Istanbul by demolishing some buildings. Hürriyet photo

Turkey’s Culture and Tourism Minister Ertuğrul Günay said he already gave a brief to destroy buildings that damage Istanbul’s silhouette.

“The prime minister said the buildings, which damage the silhouette of Istanbul, are disturbing everyone, and the president said the municipalities were to remake new plans and correct the silhouette,” Günay said, adding that the buildings will be remodeled and corrected. “There will also be destruction,” he said, adding that if Park Hotel had its highest story demolished then all buildings could follow this example. From now on it will be impossible to see buildings that disturb Istanbul’s silhouette, Günay said.

Günay said Beşiktaş football club’s stadium, in the middle of Beşiktaş near the Ottoman Dolmabahçe Palace, may be expropriated from the club.

“It is very hard to destroy and rebuild the stadium,” he said.

There are many tunnels from the palace passing under the stadium, and it is impossible to build a new stadium on the tunnels or to build a car park underneath, he added. “Even with a small construction project, the heritage on the site would be revealed,” said Günay, adding that such a discovery would prevent any development.

1939 was part of a single party era that flagrantly allowed construction of the stadium on Istanbul’s cultural heritage, he said. There was conflict between the Turkish Republic and the history of the Ottoman Empire, which resulted in the destruction of the Taksim Kışla (army barracks) on the stadium site. Currently it is impossible to carry out any construction on the stadium, he said.

“It was not a right move to build a football stadium in the backyard of an Ottoman palace,” he said, adding that the area was an exclusive region and an urban protected area for Istanbul.