* Photo: İstanbul Metropolitan Municipality
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Metropolitan Mayor of İstanbul Ekrem İmamoğlu addressed the reporters during his visit to the "Temporary Exhibition Platform" set up at Taksim Square in Beyoğlu yesterday (February 16).
Emphasizing that Taksim Square has recently been remembered for the process about Gezi Park, İstanbul Mayor İmamoğlu said, "Especially my companion Tayfun Kahraman was one of the important figures of that process. No matter how much it looks like a trial, it is like extrajudicial execution. I stand with Mr. Kahraman and other friends."
Dr. Tayfun Kahraman, an academic and one of the 16 defendants of Gezi trial, also chairs the Department of Earthquake Risk Management and Urban Development of İstanbul Metropolitan Municipality.
CLICK - Who is Charged with What in Gezi Trial?
'Taksim is a special square'
Other highlights from İmamoğlu's speech were as follows:
"Debating, discussing and expressing opinions about all squares of İstanbul... Taksim Square has a very special place among these squares, it is like their heart. It has witnessed several incidents in İstanbul, sometimes revolts, sometimes celebrations, festivals and festivities... But we now want squares to remind people of good things. We have designed competition processes for that reason.
"Within this context, it is of utmost importance to hold these competitions before the eyes of citizens, to ensure that points are given here and to give them the opportunity to have a higher perspective on Taksim and on the process with this platform... What is going on from the top to the bottom? I mean, do people live here or not at this point that we call the heart of the city? It is very important in that respect.
'I also came here for several times'
"Taksim Square has also been recently calling the process about Gezi Park to minds. It reminds of the reaction of the society and youth. And I also came here for several times during that process. People actually demanded that a free space, a unique space be changed not with the understanding of 'I do it, I change it', but the process be managed by the people based on consensus.
"Especially my companion Tayfun Kahraman was one of the important figures of that process. He chairs İstanbul Branch of Chamber of City Planners, he contributes to the process. He was a brother of mine who made sacrifices to meet the top officials of the state to ensure a resolution of the process in peace. Then, he was our consultant at Beylikdüzü Municipality as a good city planner with a contribution to the process.
'It is like extrajudicial execution'
"He is a friend of mine who sat side by side with the then President as well as other ministers and devotedly worked with the ministers of the time to resolve the process. It is very sad that the people who have struggled to make such free spaces beautiful are also the ones put on trial with such vicious acts and face tens of years in prison today.
"We are against it too. It is, in fact, like extrajudicial execution. No matter how much it looks like a trial, it is like extrajudicial execution. I stand with Mr. Kahraman and other friends. In this context, Taksim has such soul and feelings." (TP/SD)
