“Blaze Resumes in Haydarpaşa Train Station"

Haydarpaşa Solidarity, an initiative to save the historical Haydarpaşa Train Station from urban renewal projects and ensure the restoration of its roof after the blaze in 2010, held a press conference in Istanbul. 

Among the speakers of the conference listed Chamber of Architects members C. Sami Yılmaztürk and Mücella Yapıcı as well as Mithat Ercan from Union For United Moving Workers  and Tugay Kartal from Haydarpaşa Solidarity.

The speakers emphasized on the legal struggle to keep the station as its original since 2004 as well as their objections on the closing of station to trains and the post-blaze restoration efforts which they claimed to be not respecting the historical texture of the building. 

A torch march will be organized tomorrow on the forth anniversary of the incident at 7pm local time starting from Kadıköy Pier Point towards Haydarpaşa Train Station. 

148 Sundays and 128 Thursdays

Mithat Ercan emhasized that several train stations have closed and urged for joint action. 

Tugay Kartal, on the other hand, reminded that they have been assembling outside Haydarpaşa Station for the past 148 Sundays and 128 Thursdays. 

“The blaze in the judicial sense still resumes”

Lastly, Kadıköy Municipality denied to license a project saying that the planned renovation would demolish its historical integrity. 

“The project is judicially over once the plans are denied by the municipality. They can draft new plans or they can look for license from Urbanization Ministry,” Yılmaztürk said. 

“But these are all unlawful. The station was burnt down in 2010, but the blaze in the judicial sense still continues.”

“Restore the station according to its original”

Mücella Yapıcı, on the other, briefed on the struggle against urban renewal since 2004.

Reminding that the station is a first degree historical building, she said that it must be preserved and restored according its original. 

“Leave behind your enthusiasm of renovation efforts that will leave the historical Haydarpaşa Train Station into the hands of capital and have nothing scientific, technical and judicial to do with renovation of the roof according to its original. Restore the station according to its original,” she said. (BK/BM)

* Click here to read the article in Turkish.