Galata Tower restored by the company of a former ruling AKP executive

* Photo: Alexandru Panoiu / Flickr

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After a video featuring the use of hammer drills in restoration of İstanbul's Galata Tower has been shared on social media, causing serious backlash, it has been understood that the company undertaking the restoration works is owned by Sevilay Tuncer Uludağ, a former executive from the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) İstanbul Organization.

Elected to the executive committee of the AKP İstanbul Provincial Organization in the 5th Ordinary Congress in February 2015, Tuncer Uludağ was an executive at the party for some time. Then, she quitted the job.

CLICK - Demolition in Galata Tower in the name of restoration

Only in 2017, the E-S Construction Urbanization Architecture Restoration Inc. owned by Tuncer Uludağ received 11 million 846 Turkish Lira (TRY) from the Ministry of Culture and Tourism by winning two tenders.

As part of these tenders, the company has undertaken a series of restoration and renovation works, including the following: Emirgan Stables, Hüseyin Ağa Mosque, Küçük Efendi (Fevziye) Mosque, Unesco World Heritage Zeyrek, Selimiye Dar'ul Kurra Medresa, Süleymaniye Renovation Site, Sunken Cistern, Şerefiye Cistern, Konak Yalı Mosque, Barbaros Turbhe, Edirne Great Synagogue, Siyavuş Paşa Medresa, Alsancak Havagazı Factory, Clifton Mansion, Kumbaba Hotel, Hadımköy Station Buildings.

'A work to restore the tower to its original'

After the images and videos of the controversial restoration works have been shared on social media, causing a public outrage, the Directorate General of Foundations has released a statement about the Galata Tower.

Indicating that the works undertaken on the ground floor aim at freeing the Galata Tower from the structures added to the tower afterwards as well as from other deformed materials, the Directorate has said that this method is called "digestion-integration" in the literature.

According to the Directorate's statement, the works in question have been undertaken to "remove the deformed parts from the areas added to the historic building at a later date or decomposed to a point beyond repair and to restore these areas to their original version."

In its statement, the Directorate has noted that "the works are carried out by observing scientific methods and in a highly meticulous manner."

It has also added that "the necessary sanctions will be imposed on the contractor company that uses methods incompatible with their sensitivity."

CHP's Kaftancıoğlu: Not any different than ISIS

Republican People's Party (CHP) İstanbul Provincial Organization Chair Canan Kaftancıoğlu alos went to the site of restoration yesterday evening.

Making a statement there, Kaftancıoğlu said that "what was done to Galata Tower was not any different than what ISIS did to historical artifacts."

She also added that even though they wanted to enter the tower, they were not allowed to do so. Noting that "they would do their best to protect the urban fabric of İstanbul," Kaftancıoğlu said that the CHP's İstanbul Metropolitan Municipality took the necessary action.

What happened?

While İstanbul Metropolitan Municipality was administered by a trustee after the local elections on March 31, 2019, Galata Tower was handed over to the Directorate General of Foundations and registered under the name of Kule-i Zemin Foundation on May 13, 2019.

Filing a land registration case against the Directorate General of Foundations, the İMM had an interim injunction imposed on the tower so that it would not be handed over to third parties. In spite of this injunction, the Sub-Governor's Office of Beyoğlu started evacuating the tower on April 6 upon the request of the Directorate General of Foundations.

Shortly afterwards, Galata Tower has been handed over to the Ministry of Culture and Tourism. Restoration works have started in the tower after that.

Making a statement about the restoration in June, Minister of Culture and Tourism Nuri Ersoy said that the tender process for the restoration of the tower ended and the restoration works started, adding that Galata Tower would be opened to visitors on September 15, 2020.

Built in 528 AD, Galata Tower has been in the UNESCO Tentative World Heritage List since 2013. (HA/SD)