‘Canal İstanbul’ investigation against İstanbul Mayor İmamoğlu
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İYİ Party Chair Meral Akşener has announced that İstanbul Metropolitan Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu is currently facing an administrative investigation over his objection to the Canal İstanbul project.
Speaking at the morning news bulletin of Fox TV today (November 16), Akşener said, "I listened to the statements of Mr. [Justice Minister] Abdulhamit Gül, I hope that he will do what he said. But, an investigation has been launched against Mr. İmamoğlu for resisting the state over his objection to Canal İstanbul. The investigation is about this: He is accused of doing separatism because he objects to a project of the state."
Later in the morning, Spokesperson of the İstanbul Metropolitan Municipality (İMM) Murat Ongun confirmed the issue in a series of tweets.
"The statement made by İYİ Party Chair Ms. Meral Akşener about the Canal İstanbul investigation against our İMM Mayor Mr. Ekrem İmamoğlu is true," Ongun said and shared the following information:
"We have been notified that the Ministry of Interior Civil Inspectorship has launched an investigation against Mr. Ekrem İmamoğlu over the banners of 'Either Canal or İstanbul' and 'Who Needs Canal İstanbul'.
"As part of this inquiry, he has been requested to submit a written statement about the banners within 7 days relying on the Articles 104, 123 and 127 of the Constitution that 'deem it impossible to oppose the principle of the integrity of the administration and state policy by using public funds'."
İYİ Parti Genel Başkanı Sayın @meral_aksener’in bugün FOX TV’de yaptığı, İBB Başkanımız Sayın Ekrem İmamoğlu hakkında açılan Kanal İstanbul soruşturması açıklaması doğrudur.
— Murat Ongun (@Mrt_Ongun) November 16, 2020
İmamoğlu is against the Canal İstanbul project
Ekrem İmamoğlu, who was a joint mayor candidate of the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) and the İYİ Party under the Nation Alliance, has long been against the Canal İstanbul project, a planned artificial waterway between the Sea of Marmara and the Black Sea.
Most recently, on August 20, 2020, İmamoğlu slammed removal of the İMM's banners against the Canal İstanbul project by the Governor's Office of İstanbul. In response to a question regarding the removal of the banners by the Governor's Office, İmamoğlu briefly said:
"We are a state of law, we abide by the laws, no one should have any doubts about this. It was a process that we let it be and watched from a distance to prevent any disturbance, unrest or ugly scenes on the part of city dwellers. But no one should think that we have stepped back in the face of such an attitude and behavior. Our determined attitude persists. In that sense, we will fulfil our responsibility of informing the public to the end.
"We still stand up against this project which is planned to be done on millions of square meters of land belonging not only to the İMM, but also to the people and was drafted behind closed doors without asking a single citizen, we are still against this project, its plans and entire process."
The İstanbul Metropolitan Municipality had been hanging these informative banners about the project on open-air advertising units that belong to itself and whose locations are set by tender specifications.
Three days earlier, Mayor İmamoğlu had also said, "If it is constructed, our city will lose 29 percent of its water resources, the Sazlıdere Dam will be destroyed, the risk of saltwater mixing in the Terkos Lake water will emerge, groundwater resources will be depleted."
"Who needs Canal İstanbul? İstanbul or a handful of people whose 'order of extravagance' is over?" he had asked, adding that the canal would cause 100 billion dollars of extra tax: "But we will pay the price for their pleasure, 82 million citizens of the Republic of Turkey will pay. Construction and expropriation costs, which will reach astronomical figures, will put a new tax burden of at least 100 billion dollars on all of us. We will be caught in the middle of new international crises. For this reason, we say that there is no other option; it's either the canal or İstanbul."
Latest developments about Canal İstanbulTender won by Rönesans GroupThe tender lodged by the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure Directorate General of Highways for constructing the "Northern Marmara Highway (including 3rd Bosphorus Bridge) Project Nakkaş-Başakşehir (including link roads) section" with build-operate-transfer model is won by Rönesans Group, which also undertook the construction of Presidential Complex in Ankara. Afterwards, it has been understood that these roads are the roads of "New City" (Yenişehir) which will be constructed as part of Canal İstanbul. Nadir Ataman, an İstanbul Metropolitan Municipal Council member from the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP), has said, "With the road tender lodged with the model of build-operate-transfer, it is seen that citizens will pay even to see the Canal İstanbul New City." Drinking water basin zoned for constructionAccording to the 3rd stage plans of Canal İstanbul project covering 10 villages, Sazlıdere Dam, which partly meets İstanbulites' water needs, will be completely destroyed as it will be a part of the canal. With these plans, the drinking water basins around the dam will also be zoned for construction. It is understood that when plans were still pending evaluation and objection, annotations were put on the title deeds of citizens. The plans also foresee the construction of buildings with "a ground floor + 3 floors" around Canal İstanbul. İt is also seen that no solutions have been developed to save the Şahintepe - Yarımburgaz Cave, where the first settled life started in the region 400 thousand years ago. In the current situation, Yarımburgaz Caves might be destroyed as a result of the project. The 3rd stage plans of the project cover an area of 5 thousand 893 hectares and 10 villages, namely Çilingir, Dursunköy, Hacımaşlı, Hadımköy, Haraççı, Sazlıbosna, Güvercintepe, Kayabaşı, Şahintepe and Şamlar. The village settlements it Hacımaşlı, Sazlıbosna and Çilingir and agricultural fields in Dursunköy and Şamlar are also a part of the plan. An agricultural field of 10 thousand hectares will be lostWith these plans, several agricultural fields, pasturelands and several other sites have been zoned for construction. While a road is to be build on Çilingir Village Cemetery, the villages on the route of Canal İstanbul project have been completely changed with the new plans. According to the data of the İstanbul Metropolitan Municipality, when the 1 to 100,000 Scale Environmental Plan for İstanbul dated 2009 is examined, it is seen that the total amount of agricultural land was 11 thousand 218 hectares. However, when the plan change as to Canal İstanbul in 2020 is examined, this figure drops to 733 hectares. In other words, an agricultural field of 10 thousand 485 hectares will be lost as a result of the project. In the plan dated 2009, the total amount of forestland was indicated as 2 thousand 984 hectares; but, when the plan change dated 2020 is examined, it is seen that this figure also drops to 2 thousand 134 hectares. So, with Canal İstanbul project, a forestland of 850 hectares will be lost. As for pasturelands, it will drop from its former amount of 497 hectares to zero (0) in 2020. That being the case, the villagers living in the region will no longer have lands to graze their animals when the project is completed. While the planned land in the project site was 12 thousand 509 hectares, it has increased to 35 thousand 714 hectares after Canal İstanbul project, which will lead to construction in and around the project site. While an area of 2 thousand 526 hectares is now open to construction in the region, this figure has reached 9 thousand 446 hectares with the project. It foresees 1.2 million additional population to come to the city. CLICK - What does draft legislation on Canal İstanbul foresee? What are the latest developments? |
(EMK/SD)