Court does not suspend execution of Galataport, but asks more review

ISTANBUL

The Istanbul Salıpazarı Port Area includes up to 1,200 meters of coastline and covers an area of approximately 100,000 square meters. DHA Photo

Turkey’s Supreme Board of Privatization (ÖİB) has said the Council of State did not suspend the execution of Istanbul’s Salıpazarı Port Area project, commonly known as Galataport, but just asked for more review on the area.

The board noted that the opposing claims by Union of Chambers of Turkish Engineers and Architects (TMMOB) were not true.

“Turkey’s top court decided to make a review on the area to understand whether a suspension of execution of the project is needed or not,” said the board, adding that there was no execution suspension of the Galataport project, as opposed to what the TMMOB claimed earlier last week.

The TMMOB issued a written statement, claiming the Council of State ruled that the Galataport project must be halted immediately in the interests of the public good.

Doğuş Holding placed the highest offer for the privatization of the Galataport with a $702 million bid in May 2013, winning the rights to operate the port area in Istanbul’s Karaköy neighborhood for 30 years.

 Doğuş Group, owned by a local conglomerate active in several businesses including media and banking, has been interested in marina businesses both in Turkey and overseas. The Istanbul Salıpazarı Port Area has up to 1,200 meters of coastline and covers an area of approximately 100,000 square meters.

Soon after the tender was awarded, the TMMOB filed a lawsuit against the project, claiming that the plans could not be adequately integrated into the Beyoğlu district. The TMMOB also said new malls, offices and other buildings were planned to be built in the Galataport area, which would not be able to carry so much human and vehicular traffic. However, the court rejected the TMMOB’s complaints in September 2013, saying the TMMOB had not expressed any reservations about the construction of a larger cruise port in the area, which is the basis of the tender.