NGOs object to further construction allowances on Istanbul’s Bosphorus

İdris Emen ISTANBUL

A group of NGOs has objected to a recent ruling by a number of Istanbul’s municipalities that will allow higher buildings to be constructed on the banks of the Bosphorus.

The Platform of the Bosphorus Associations (BODEP), which consists of 11 associations working for the preservation of the Bosphorus, objected to the Union of the Municipalities of the Bosphorus’ decision to expand the area on which buildings can be constructed near the shoreline, and increase their permitted height.

The Union of the Municipalities of the Bosphorus held a “construction plan workshop” under the Environment and Urbanization Ministry on Jan. 9-10, in which it ruled to make amendments to Law No. 2960 on the Bosphorus, increasing the permitted construction height level and base area by the shoreline.

If legal amendments are made according to the workshop’s decisions, buildings of 12.5 meters with four stories will be allowed to extend to five stories, while buildings of 15.5 meters with five stories will be allowed to extend to six stories.

Accordingly, the building coverage area ratio will be increased from 0.15 percent to 0.25 percent. This would allow, for example, buildings of 250 square meters to be constructed on a total area of 1,000 square meters, compared to the current law that only allows construction on 150 square meters of land.

Objecting to the workshop’s rulings, BODEP said in a written statement that it was “impossible to accept attempts that negatively affect the landscape and will allow yet more concrete on the Bosphorus.”

“As is known, the main aim of the Law on the Bosphorus is to preserve and develop the cultural, historic values and the natural beauty of Istanbul’s Bosphorus and limit the population structure, in order to pass the space onto future generations,” stated BODEP.

“We demand that you don’t take part in this initiative that has no public benefit,” it added.