Three high-rise buildings in Zeytinburnu district, destroying the panorama of Istanbul and view on the Suleymaniye Mosque near the Bosphorus in particular, will be ruined. According to the press speach, made by lawyers engaged in the process, they hope that case will be solved soon, as it has been accepted by the Supreme Administrative Court of Istanbul and is not subject to appeal (legal battle on destruction of the skyscrapers, "spoiling" the historical silhouette of the city, has been lasting for a few years). The illegal construction was a main argument of the plaintiffs, says ee24.com citing the Turkish media.
Although it was clear at the planning stage that building would obscure the city view and ruin the harmony of the city’s silhouette, they were built and living space was fully ready for living and sold out. The height of buildings counts 32, 37 and 27 floors. Being built between the mosque and the Bosphorus, they have a significant impact on the perception of ancient architecture, making a visible disbalance.
Developers say that there were no any violations made during the construction. All licenses and permits have been obtained in time and in full accordance with the law, so the company Onaltıdokuz Residence intends to fight to the end. Construction was started in 2011. According to preliminary estimates, the damage from the demolition will count €1.8-5 million. Mesut Toprak, Company’s owner had a pre-construction dialogue with Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and the Minister didn’t support the vertical development. However, today Erdogan’s speech looks like an excuse in the face of public as he hadn’t undertaken any actions against the erection of the buildings. Prime Minister Erdogan told earlier about the urgency of moving towards the horizontal oriented construction of low-rise buildings (no more than 4 floors).
The trial was initiated by an active community of Turkey. The enforcement of its decisions is in the responsibility of the city’s municipality. It is hard to say whether it was just a zeal about city’s architecture that caused a court sue or its roots may be found in religious of locals who estimate new buildings as violation of sacred place.
It worth noting, that Istanbul has been named as one of the best cities for vacation. Its stunning architecture played significant role in making this decision. This largest city of Turkey may be recently characterized by increase in the construction volumes and the constant upward trend in housing prices. Istanbul has even overtaken the popular resort of Antalya, in real estate sales volumes. The reason for this is hidden in the large number of opportunities and favorable attitude of local people towards migrants from around the world. The city preservation activists note that current situation requires strict government control targeted at curbing the development and preservation of the unique panorama of Istanbul.
Photo: hurriyetdailynews.com