Tea House Invasion in Galata Tower

Occupy Galata Group released a Facebook message, inviting public to have a picnic around Galata Tower area in downtown Istanbul after Beyoğlu Municipality’s approval for a private tea house in the public square.

Yeliz Özşen

The surrounding of Galata Tower, Beyoğlu, one of the meeting places of people, was turned into a tea house.

There is a rumor about the tea house will expand throughout the whole surrounding of the Tower in the next days although it occupies a small area for now.

While the owner of the business is unknown, no signboard or tax board indicate any information except a card marking “BELTUR” on a tea urn.

bianet interviewed a local craftsman who stated the whole surrounding of the Tower, with the expansion of the café, will be filled with tables and chairs of the café in the next days.

bianet also asked Beyoğlu Municipality via Twitter whether the business had a license or not. The municipality said on @VatandasBaskan account that the case would be investigated and the municipality squads had been directed towards Galata Tower.

Occupy Galata

A protest will be held on Saturday for the “invasion” of Galata Tower’s surroundings, which is indeed open to public, over a private business to turn it into a café.

“Come to the picnic with your food and beverage between 4 - 7 pm [in local time] on Saturday,” the group wrote on Facebook.

Announcements started on Twitter via the hashtag #OccupyGalata.

On the other hand, a petition started on change.org to make the occupation of tables and chairs in Galata Tower Square come to an end, to convert the environmental planning in favor of the community and to make the surrounding toilets free. (YÖ/EKN/MEV/BM)

* Click here to read the article in Turkish.