Istanbul’s Yıldız Palace ‘allocated’ for Turkish president

ISTANBUL

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Yıldız Palace, a historic Ottoman palace in Istanbul’s central Beşiktaş district, has been allocated for use by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, a Turkish columnist wrote on Nov. 8, sparking a debate over the use by statesmen of the area which included large green parks. 

Yıldız Palace, built on a Beşiktaş hill near the Bosphorus Strait was used by Ottoman Sultan Abdulhamid II (1876-1909) as the center of state affairs. At the time it was known as the Saray-i Humayun (Central Palace).

The Büyük Mabeyn section of the palace was recently renovated and allocated for Erdoğan’s use, Murat Bardakçı wrote in his column for daily Habertürk on Nov. 8. Erdoğan hosted German Chancellor Angela Merkel in Büyük Mabeyn during her latest visit to Istanbul. 

Barakçı said the entire palace will now be allocated for the use of the president and the rest of the palace will be renovated. He also noted Yıldız Palace will then be called the “Presidential Istanbul Külliye.” A recently built presidential palace in Ankara’s Beştepe neighborhood was named the “Presidential Külliye” by Erdoğan, who said the huge building will serve the people and will be open to visits by citizens on tours. 

The palace was left to the War Academies in 1946 and handed over to the Culture Ministry in 1978. It has served as a museum under the name of the Directorate of the Museum of Yıldız Palace since 1993.