Municipality rejects permit for construction in Istanbul forest

ISTANBUL – Doğan News Agency

The local municipality in Istanbul’s Sarıyer district has refused to grant permission for a project that includes the construction of villas and shops in the district’s Fatih Forest.

The project was planned to be built through the cooperation of Bilgili Holding and Doğuş Holding, and foresaw the construction of 108 villas, a hall with a 15,000-person capacity, shops and restaurants.

However, Sarıyer Mayor Şükrü Genç said his administration had not given the necessary construction permits and licenses in the forest, also vowing that they would not do so in the future either.

“We have never been a part of something that does not include the public and non-governmental organizations. And we won’t be in the future either,” Genç said.

Protests had been held under the name “The Initiative of Resist Fatih Forest,” following reports suggesting that the project was set to be given the go-ahead in the 1,490-decare forested area.