Istanbul court cancels construction plans in Beyoğlu

ISTANBUL

Istanbul 10th Administrative Court canceled the Beyoğlu master development plan and Beyoğlu protection plan, which included the construction of a mosque near Taksim Square. DAILY NEWS photo, Emrah Gürel

An Istanbul court canceled construction plans for the city’s central district Beyoğlu after experts claimed the plans have a “touristicization” effect on the district by excluding the locals, daily Radikal reported on Dec. 24.

Istanbul 10th Administrative Court canceled the Beyoğlu master development plan and Beyoğlu protection plan, which included the construction of a mosque near Taksim Square.

The expert report on which the court’s decision was based on claimed Beyoğlu would completely become “a touristic place” and “locals would be alienated from life.”

The Beyoğlu District Associations Platform has filed lawsuits against the Beyoğlu construction plans prepared by the Istanbul Greater Municipality in 2011.

The court canceled the plans on the grounds that it lacked unity, it is not in line with upper scale plans and the construction does not have urbanization principles, as well as the lack of a “participative space management model” in the plans. Because the court canceled the plans, the municipality has to prepare new plans within six months, according to regulations.

The representatives of the Beyoğlu District Associations Platform held a meeting at the Chambers of Architect building over the court decision. The platform representatives agreed construction plans should be immediately halted, Bianet, news website reported.

A mosque project in Taksim, a facility project in Dolmabahçe, a parking lot project in Galatasaray Square and the İmalat-ı Harbiye project in the Mimar Sinan University should be stopped after the court’s decision, according to the platform members.

However, many other projects in and near Beyoğlu will not be affected by the court decision.

The Tarlabaşı renovation project, a yacht port project planned to replace the shipbuilding yards at the Golden Horn and the Galataport project will not be affected by the court decision because they are not included in the Beyoğlu construction plans, but planned as separate projects, according to the daily Radikal.

The associations in Beyoğlu applied to court for the cancellation of the projects on the ground that it lacked participation from locals and the protected areas are removed from protection by giving titles such as, “urban transformation area” or “tourism area.”