Court cancels Ankara’s ‘Iron Cage’ plan for the 8th time

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With both its construction and dismantling causing a serious waste of public funding, the plan change of the Ankara Metropolitan Municipality in 2020 foreseeing the construction of YDA Center in the "Iron Cage" area has been once again cancelled by an administrative court.

In the lawsuit filed by the Ankara Branch of the Chamber of Architects, which had seven other plan changes cancelled as well, the Ankara 4th Administrative Court has cancelled the 8th plan change.

Making a statement about the recent court ruling, the Ankara Branch of the Chamber of Architects has said, "The judiciary has underlined for the 8th time that the urban humps of the Melih Gökçek era will not be allowed in every era in Ankara. The Ankara 4th Administrative Court has observed the public good and not let unearned income."

Commenting on the ruling, Ankara Branch Chair Tezcan Karakuş Candan has stressed that the plan change that offers special development rights is against public good, urbanization and planning principles.

Accordingly, Karakuş Candan has called on the Ankara Metropolitan Municipality, which is currently led by the opposition's Mansur Yavaş, to cancel the YDA Center's partially given residential usage and business licences and to swiftly seal off the YDA Center.

Calling on the Municipality to abide by the ruling, she has stressed that "the area of Iron Cage has been confirmed to be an urban crime."

She has urged the authorities to "put an end to drafting a 9th plan change for the area." Karakuş Candan has expressed the Chamber's determination to take legal action against "the plan changes that are against public good and seek unearned income."

What happened?

One of the most controversial projects of the ruling AKP's former Ankara Metropolitan Mayor Melih Gökçek was the "Iron Cage", the construction of which began on the Ankara-Eskişehir Highway in 2005.

The project was halted in 2008 as a result of the lawsuits filed by the Chamber of Architects. Called the "Iron Cage" as only its steelwork had remained standing during this judicial process for 5 years, the construction was demolished in 2013 in order to draft a new plan and project.

While the Ankara Metropolitan Municipality spent 80 million lira for the construction, the demolition was also met by public funding. The project was handed over to the YDA company later on. The then Ankara Mayor Gökçek said that they handed over the project in exchange for 120 million US dollars, or 1,650 houses and 30,000 square meters of business area.

After it was demolished in 2013, all plan changes were cancelled by courts on the grounds that it did not observe public good. (KÖ/SD)