Court decision to halt construction of PM complex in Atatürk Forest Farm

ANKARA

Often referred to as 'the lungs of Ankara,' the forest is an expansive recreational farming area that houses a zoo, several small agricultural farms, greenhouses, restaurants, a dairy farm and a brewery.

An Ankara court has ruled for a stay of execution on the construction of a new Prime Ministry complex and the AnkaPark project that has been ongoing on the site of the Atatürk Forest Farm, daily Hürriyet has reported.

The decision cited the projects’ violation of the principles of urban planning, ecology and science, adding that the completion of the project could “cause damage that would be hard to repair.”

The Ankara branch head of the Chamber of Architects, Tezcan Karakuş, called on Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Ankara Mayor Melih Gökçek to stop the construction.

Earlier this month, construction of the new Prime Ministry complex had been halted, after another court
ruled to uphold the protected status of the site.

The Ankara Regional Natural Reserves Commission had reduced the degree of protection for the forest’s seven hectares on Feb. 2, 2012, paving the way for the construction of a “White House”-style complex for the Turkish prime minister.

After the Architects’ Chamber, the Chamber of Environmental Engineers, the Chamber of Urban Planners, the Chamber of Landscape Architects and the Chamber of Agricultural Engineers filed a complaint against the Culture Ministry to cancel the decision, the Prime Ministry intervened in the case to stand by the ministry.

However, the court passed judgment on March 4 and upheld the protected status of the site. According to the law, the construction must be halted and the already-built structures must be razed.