Günay backtracks from İnönü renovation comments

ISTANBUL- Hürriyet Daily News

İNÖNÜ STADIUM. Hürriyet photo

İnönü Stadium will be renovated where it stands now, Culture and Tourism Minister Ertuğrul Günay said, backtracking on earlier comments.

Günay’s earlier comments that he did not want İnönü Stadium to remain in its current location and that the Istanbul sports club might relocate as Galatasaray did when it left the centrally located stadium, placed him at odds with the Beşiktaş board and fans.

At a Q-and-A panel with reporters at Okan University, however, Günay said İnönü would stay where it is but would be renovated.

“We will work with the Beşiktaş board in a joint project to renovate the stadium,” Günay said. “We will do it while preserving the stadium’s cultural and historical texture.”

Media have also suggested that a new mall would be built on the incredibly valuable location once Beşiktaş was moved to another stadium.

“We will not put a mall there,” Günay said. “We will try to honor İnönü as a sports arena with some historic and artistic value.”

Günay’s comments came following a meeting with newly elected Fikret Orman, who joined Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and the culture and tourism minister’s visit to China.

Daily Akşam reported that Orman suggested following the example of the Berlin Olympic Stadium.
“Berlin and Rome methods could be followed or an original method can be used as well,” Günay said.