Ankara Mayor Mansur Yavaş and MPs at METU Campus Against Cutting of Trees

* Photograph: METU Must Be Defended / Twitter

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A forty-decare land on the Middle East Technical University (METU) campus was planned to be handed over to the Credits and Loans Institution (KYK) for the construction of a dormitory. Accordingly, the trees at the campus started to be cut down earlier today (July 8).

It was announced later in the day that the cutting of trees had been stopped after the negotiations with METU President Verşan Kök. 

However, it has later been reported that concrete pouring vehicles have entered the construction site shortly afterwards.

'We will follow it until construction is sealed'

Main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) Ankara MP and Party Assembly member Gamze Taşcıer has met with President Kök and she has announced after their meeting that the cutting of trees has been halted:

"I met with Mr. President in person, they have stopped cutting down the trees. Our municipality has taken down minutes on the construction. We will both meet the Çankaya Municipality and Metropolitan Municipality and will follow the issue until the construction is locked up and sealed. We will also follow it up to ensure that the process here will also proceed."

On the other side, shortly after this statement was made, the METU Must Be Defended (ODTÜ Savunulmalıdır) Platform has tweeted a video, showing the concreting vehicles have entered the campus to continue construction:

Beton dökme araçlarıyla ruhsatsız inşaata başlamaya çalışıyorlar!#PolisODTÜde pic.twitter.com/0i9s22uWM1

— ODTÜ Savunulmalıdır (@OdtuSavunulmali) 8 Temmuz 2019

'We will resolve the problem by mutual consent'

Ankara Metropolitan Mayor Mansur Yavaş has also announced on his social media account that they met with Verşan Kök today. Yavaş has stated:

"We will continue a process that will inform the people of Ankara and the whole public and will resolve the problem by mutual consent. Our efforts to protect the public conscience have been continuing."

'There is no excavation permit or building license'

Çankaya District Mayor Alper Taşdelen has also announced that the construction in question has neither an excavation permit, nor a building license. Accordingly, he has informed the public that minutes were taken down regarding the unlicensed buildings at the construction site today.

Union of Chambers of Turkish Engineers and Architects (TMMOB) Ankara Provincial Coordination Council has also sent an official letter to the Governorship of Ankara, requesting the halt of the dorm construction that started despite the lack of a building license.

'Around 750 poplar trees will be cut down'

In a statement released by the METU Presidency, it has been announced that the dormitory in question will be constructed as part of a protocol signed by the METU and Ministry of Youth and Sports General Directorate of Credit and Dormitories Agency. The number of poplar trees as part of the project has been announced as around 750 by the METU Presidency. (AÖ/SD)