Divanhane Old Police Station in Kasımpaşa is being destroyed despite the disappearance of the reasons given by the Protection Board. Deputy Secretary General of IMM, Mahir Polat, said that the work in which the machine-driven demolition was carried out was continued despite there being no reason anymore. Noting that the judicial process started, Polat said, “Did you shroud the Police Station or take it to the coffin? What is this image? If you are doing a respectable and appropriate job, what are you hiding by waiting so long, by hiding, by blocking our authorized units in every audit ”he asked.
The Protection Board approved the project, which includes demolishing the Divanhane Old Police Station and building a wider road and intersection in its place. The structure of Sultan Abdülaziz, dating back to the 19th century, was subjected to demolition with heavy machinery and rigging in February, as a result of the work based on the decision of the board. IMM Deputy Secretary General Mahir Polat made a statement about the demolition in front of the Divanhane Old Police Station located in Kasımpaşa Square, which was surrounded by Ottoman buildings. Polat pointed out that the demolition decision taken was a historical mistake and said, “There is no justification for the demolition of the building, nor any public benefit. What is happening here is the destruction of historical identity. "The destruction of historical artifacts is the loss of the Ottoman identity of Istanbul," he said.
Polat, stating that Istanbul is a city of history and civilization, said that the Divanhane Old Police Station Building by Sultan Abdulaziz has a unique urban value. Polat also stated that the ongoing work on the building was a draft initiated in 2014 with the approval of the Ministry of Culture Conservation Boards, and summarized the approval process of the project as follows:
“The project was requested within the scope of Halicport Project, at the request of the Ministry of Transport. It was submitted to the Ministry of Culture and Tourism and approved. The Ministry of Environment and Urbanization also gave a demolition permit license and a letter was written to the Beyoğlu District Municipality. In the last months of 2020, the demolition decision was signed by the Beyoğlu Municipality and the process was initiated. "
"NO INTERSECTION IN THE MIDDLE"
Polat stated that they have been making attempts to stop the work for about two months and continued as follows:
“The project of demolishing the building and rebuilding it in accordance with its original and road widening project is based on the decision of the Ministry of Transport. With a second decision in 2015, it is foreseen that the building will be relocated and built further behind. Both of this decision approve the projects related to the demolition of the building by the Protection Board of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism in 2019 by preparing relevant projects. "
"THE STATUS OF HISTORICAL BUILDINGS IS NOT ORGANIZED ACCORDING TO THE ROADS"
Polat noted that the duties of institutions related to conservation and cultural identity have gone to a contrary application and recalled the statement made by the Ministry of Transport on 30 January. Polat stated that the building was referred to at the crossroads in the statement and said about the answer:
“There is no crossroads here. It may have been planned or decided to be made in previous years. But here, if you take a decision assuming that there is a crossroads, you will give an example of how a city like Istanbul is betrayed. The status of historical buildings is not regulated according to the roads. "
JUDICIAL PROCESS STARTED
Polat shared the information that they applied to the protection committees related to the Office of the Chief Public Prosecutor on the grounds that the works were stopped and these activities were within the scope of a crime with the minutes kept and said, “On February 4, we took the decision of the Transportation and Traffic Commission (UTK). Here, we stated that such a road will not be built again, and the decision to arrange the road taken in the past was also wrong. This means that; “Even if they demolish this building, there is no longer an agenda for a road work here”.
Stating that he insisted on the decision of the Conservation Council despite the change of the justified road route, Polat said, “All the demolitions and all these activities within the scope of the law numbered 2863 are crimes and severe punishments. We called for these to stop. We made an ethical and conscientious call to the necessary authorities not to collapse this historical structure without any justification. However, at the point we have reached, these studies continue. The pier was open while the demolition was taking place. Information about the destruction of the Ministry of Transport could be read on it. At the moment, we cannot see who built the building, what was its destruction, and who was responsible. "
FOUR APPEALS
Polat, who said that they are faced with irreversible damage, summarized his objections about the project as follows:
“Our first objection is to stop the demolition of the building urgently. The other issue is that, according to the Board Decision, this is a cadastral gap. Therefore, there is no decision concerning the building. My third objection is that the practice to be carried out on the basis of the dismantling of the building, which is called the decision of relocation, is the demolition arm of historical artifact dismantling with tricks and heavy machinery. Every blow to the building is a crime of antiquities. Finally, Kasımpaşa Square is a historical place that has no precedent in Istanbul. This place is surrounded by Ottoman historical buildings all around. What is destroyed here is not only the building, but also a historical square with its original dimensions.
IMM WILL BE FOLLOWERS
Polat, who mentioned that the work in Divanhane was carried out with a cover that wraps all around the building, completed his statement as follows:
“Did you cut a shroud for the Police Station or take it in a coffin? What is this image? If you are doing a respectable and appropriate job, what do you hide by waiting that long, hiding, blocking our authorized units in every audit? These practices only destroy historical buildings. We present to the public that all these procedures are followed by IMM, the necessary procedures are carried out, and criminal complaints have been initiated. "
Be the first to comment