'Letting the Atatürk Cultural Centre be demolished is a crime!'

The Union of Chamber of Turkish Architects and Engineers has issued a press release regarding the demolition of the Atatürk Cultural Center and the announcement of the ruling Justice and Development Party's project to replace it.
Wednesday, 08 November 2017 06:49

The İstanbul Branch of the Union of Chamber of Turkish Architects and Engineers (TMMOB) has released a statement about the demolition of the Atatürk Cultural Center (AKM) and the Justice and Development Party (AKP)'s new project which would be established in place of it.

Underlining that the AKM, as a symbolic value, is one of the most important works of modern architecture and a significant cultural asset of the Republic, the statement of TMMOB noted that "The attempts to demolish the AKM have been transformed into a demonstration in line with a political understanding that lacks a care for the conservation of cultural heritage and architectural design culture."

The statement, while responding to the planned demolition of the monument by the government, also states that "We consider the explanations of the authorities, which accused institutions striving for the conservation of cultural assets and natural wonders with democratic and peaceful methods, the cultural and art worlds, and responsible citizens of being 'terrorists', as unbefitting words to the accumulated cultural and humanitarian values of this country." 

"Although they are obliged to complete the restoration of the AKM in accordance with its original text in direction of their public responsibilities and to bring the building into service, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism and the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality have been committing a crime for more than 8 years by refusing to fulfill their constitutional liability by means of particular activities such as leaving the AKM to demolition crews or using it as a police station", the TMMOB said.

The statement concluded that "This cultural and historical destruction must end by immediately putting a certified restoration project into practice, and the AKM, with its original structure and environment, should be brought into the service of the people. It is both a crime to demolish the AKM or to leave it to demolition crews."