Council of State Rejects Objection on Sulukule Project

Turkey’s Council of State rejected a motion submitted by Fatih District Municipality on the cancellation of a suspension order for Sulukule urban renewal project. The municipality’s new project also became subjected to prosecution. 

In June 2012, a court cancelled the Sulukule urban renewal project, saying that it wasn’t for the “public good”. In response, Fatih District Municipality applied to Council of State for the suspension of court cancellation order. 

Fatih District Municipality Mustafa Demir said earlier that he was certain about the suspension of cancellation - a ruling that would be exemplary for the implementation of Turkey’s new disaster law. However, Council of State 14th Chamber rejected the objection.   

On the other hand, Fatih Municipality had already drafted a new construction project while disregarding council’s upcoming decision. 

Admitted by 2nd Preservation Council, the new project was approved to be be available on a variety of criteria including the restoration of socio-cultural texture of district, morphology of original historical peninsula and adequate preservation of street regime. 

Advocate Hilal Küey sued the project, saying that it was “unlawful”. She claimed that the previous rejection from Council of State strengthened their hand. 

In a previous interview on bianet, architect Aslı Kıyak reminded that the projects has been revised at least 22 times: 

"In the past four years while the trial was still underway, they have revised the project 22 times with small tweaks. Each time the expert said they haven’t put a new sketch on the project proposal. The situation is the same now. It is not about changing the place of two buildings. The project built 3-story buildings across the water bed, street names have been altered. Correcting these means to demolish everything in the first place. What technique will they employ to do these changes without demolishing anything? Needless to say that it is only the physical aspect of the issue. Depriving of people from their homes can’t be corrected."

What happened? 

In 2006, Turkey’s cabinet declared Neslişah and Hatice Sultan neighborhoods as urban renewal zones.  

A long struggle has begun ever since. World Heritage Commission commented on the issue as “social ousting, confiscating urban profit and gentrification”. 

In May 2009, bulldozers started their demolition in Sulukule district, however the court did not order any suspension order. 

In May 2010, new construction began in Sulukule contracted by Özkar Construction Firm along with Turkey’s Public Housing Institution. 

All 300 families (except 2) who have left their homes in Sulukule for public housing in Taşoluk district have returned to Karagümrük neighborhood due to “difficulties with payment plans” of their current apartments. (NV/BM)

* Click here to read the original article in Turkish.