Midnight raid hits Taksim spots

ISTANBUL

AA Photo

Municipality teams confiscated signs from Beyoğlu locations last night in a midnight raid that reportedly aimed to preserve the appearance of historical buildings the area, daily Akşam reported.

Restaurants, bars and stores around the Galata and Galipdede districts of Beyoğlu, as well as locations around the Ağa Mosque were included in the sweep.

A major street with many bars was also raided as a crane and a team of 10 officials patrolled the district.  
The municipal teams conducted the raid in the middle of the night reportedly to avoid the "mayhem" that might have resulted from shop owners resisting the removal of their signs during normal, day-time working hours.