Hundreds Stand Up Against Hotel Project in Haydarpaşa

Hundreds of political party members, young activists and other opposition groups marched with torches and demonstrated on the steps of Istanbul's century-old train station on Wednesday night, protesting the municipality project to transform the station into a hotel.

Several demonstrators also gathered in various train stations across European capitals to join the cause.

"We have been battling against this project for the past 9 years. For almost a year, we have been holding weekly gatherings and protests," Orhan Kurtuldu from Haydarpaşa Solidarity Initiative said in a statement.

Reminding that AKP government was trying to transform the area since 2004, Kurtuldu claimed that the building was deliberately set on fire in 2011 to expedite the "exploitation" process.

"AKP government is aiming to vandalize the area with non-scientific and irrational projects. The station is in a preserved site. But Istanbul Municipality's preservation project aims to exploit the area. We have taken legal action against this project," the statement said.

Following the statement, activist artists performed poetry readings and music performances.

bianet interview demonstrators who spoke up against the project:

Tugay Kartal: I work at Haydarpaşa Train Station. Our struggle to preserve the station and its surroundings dates back to 2004. This is where people, continents meet. Once you are here, you have a veritable grasp of Istanbul.

Serdar Orçin: This is where Nazim Hikmet's famous poetry book starts to unfold. It is annoying to think that the station might belong to some private owners and customers. We have been constantly losing our urban values in Istanbul. It is annoying that these renewal projects exploit the city in the name of preservation.

İdil Özsöyler: As someone who was born and raised in Istanbul, I think this place is so special. If we lose here, we might lose other place such as Moda and Harem shores too. It is basically the privatization of Istanbul's waterfronts. And on the other hand, Haydarpaşa is crucial for the city's commute system. We can't accept this, we should continue our struggle.

Fatoş Çırnaz: I am representing Turkey's new Green Party here, but I am also an Istanbuliot. Haydarpaşa is an important landmark on Istanbul's cultural identity. We don't malls in Istanbul, we need to preserve history. This is a place where we see on movies. We can't let the city lose its identity. (BM/BK/HK)

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