Fishermen in İstanbul watch a bridge under construction over the Golden Horn, seen as a major blow to İstanbul’s traditional silhouette, including Mimar Sinan’s magnum opus, the Süleymaniye Mosque. (Photo: Today’s Zaman, Usame Arı)
We have recently learned that Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan is disturbed by unplanned and improper non-eco-friendly urbanization. Over the weekend at the inauguration ceremony of an urban transformation project in İstanbul, he complained about people’s lack of engagement with nature due to these non-eco-friendly buildings infesting Turkey’s cities.
“Can a generation that has a relationship with nature only through books and cartoons and sees nature only in documentaries have a healthy spiritual view of the world and the future?” Erdoğan rightfully asked.
He also called on his minister for environment and urban planning as well as municipal mayors from his party to limit the construction of skyscrapers as much as possible and to create and preserve green spaces while urging them to pay attention to “aesthetics” while approving construction projects.
An İstanbulite for 10 years, I agree with his every word but I should warn those who would mistakenly think that his Justice and Development Party (AK Party) has recently assumed power upon hearing his remarks. As was recently well said by Today’s Zaman blogger and journalist Sevgi Akarçeşme in an article, İstanbul’s historic silhouette has already been irreversibly and irreparably damaged, something in which the AK Party-run İstanbul municipality and the government, which has been ruling the country for more than 10 years, have a big share.
Indeed, you do not have to be a prime minister to see what has happened to İstanbul, a city where history lies in every corner. Apart from skyscrapers popping up everywhere, mostly in front of a monumental mosque or nearby a shantytown, the city has been undergoing two major construction projects, both at the heart of the city and in contradiction to what Erdoğan calls for. One of them concerns the famous Taksim Square in İstanbul’s Beyoğlu district. The Taksim pedestrian project, which was approved by the government in February 2012, includes the construction of the replica of a historic military barracks in what is now Gezi Park, putting the leafy oasis that has characterized Turkey’s most high-profile public square for more than seven decades in danger and possibly severing “our relationship with nature.”
The other project, which has already been more than halfway completed, is a major blow to İstanbul’s traditional silhouette. Unfortunately, when you attempt to look at the historic peninsula and Mimar Sinan’s magnum opus, the Süleymaniye Mosque, from Taksim, you now see a new bridge under construction over the Golden Horn, which is deservedly drawing much criticism in terms of zoning and aesthetics. While crossing over a bridge on the Golden Horn recently, I even turned my head to the other side so as not to see this “freak,” as Erdoğan once referred to a statue in eastern Turkey. The scenic view from my favorite café in Süleymaniye has already been destroyed.
A third controversial project is also knocking on the door in spite of widespread public criticism, including among conservative circles: a huge mosque on Üsküdar’s highest hill, Çamlıca. The prime minister, however, has already made up his mind, leaving us no room for further comment.
There are many other construction projects which distress not only me but also millions of people in this city. And you know what, we, İstanbulites, are just watching what is going on and do not have a say on such major “operations” in our city.
Let me remind you of that the İstanbul Metropolitan Municipality (İBB) had an online poll in 2011, asking us which color the public transportation buses should be. That’s fine, but I would also expect them to ask our opinion on more major moves, such as turning the city’s heart upside down, erecting a “freak” over the Golden Horn or the aesthetics-lacking mosque soon to be built on Çamlıca Hill. May be they know that the result of these polls would not be “lilac” or another color this time.
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