Police, Excavators Begin Construction At Validebağ Grove

Construction workers with excavators began to demolish a parking lot at the entrance to the Validebağ Grove (Validebağ Korusu) in İstanbul's Üsküdar district, with police surrounding them for protection, early on Tuesday morning.

Protesters and residents gathered to halt the construction, as it will allow for further devastation of forested land at the reserve. Environmentalists also took to social media to call for emergency protests against the destruction of trees in the grove. Solidarity groups have explained that a mosque is to take the place of the trees. Local residents and environmentalists also claim that the mosque, which is being commissioned by the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) authorities in Üsküdar, has not yet received the proper permits for construction, which is to say that the police are protecting an illegal construction project. Two local residents who tried to object to the demolition were assaulted by police officers and hospitalized.

Deniz Özgür, an active member of the İstanbul Kent Savunması (İstanbul City Defense) group, spoke with Today's Zaman from the site of the protests.

“They began the demolition at five in the morning. The situation is that they are trying to demolish this green space for a mosque, commissioned by the municipal government, that has not even been granted permission from the courts. In fact, the lawyers are in court today attempting to obtain permission. But we are here now, and we are going to stay here all day and be here tonight. The workers have stopped for now, and we have destroyed two of the barrier walls erected for the construction.”

The controversy concerning the demolition of the Validebağ Grove made the headlines in September as well, when activists turned out at night to thwart a parking lot expansion project. Nearly 200 environmentalists gathered to demolish the framework into which cement would be poured to make a parking lot in the forest reserve.

Özgür explained: “Today we are at one of the upper entrances to the grove, whereas the incident in September was at the lower end. But that's the thing: They [the municipal government] are trying to infiltrate this natural area from all sides, last month with the excuse of a parking lot, today with the excuse of a mosque.”

Furthermore, the Üsküdar Municipality released a written statement on the matter on Tuesday, saying: “A group of citizens would like to block the construction of a small, licensed mosque at the address of 34 Raufpaşa Street, Altunizade neighborhood, in Üsküdar. For days, these protesters have been continuing to look for the press' attention and protesting in unlawful ways, continuing to leave their vehicles at the site, therefore blocking construction.”

Zeynep Karataş (Cihan/Today's Zaman)