New subway line to be constructed in Istanbul

ISTANBUL

A new subway line is set to be constructed in Istanbul’s European side connecting Ortaköy and Sarıyer, Istanbul Mayor Kadir Topbaş said March 10. 

“This is a development that is unimaginable,” Topbaş said at a meeting organized by the ruling Justice and Development Party’s (AKP) Sarıyer district branch to discuss the April 16 referendum, which will decide whether the current parliamentary system should be shifted into an executive presidency.

“God willing, we will bring subway to Sarıyer along the coast. There is already a subway line that runs all the way to Cumhuriyet neighborhood and Hacıosman. We are working on whether we can make that line go down to Çayırbaşı. It will be connected with another subway line. The access will be easier this way,” he said. 

Topbaş added that the municipality planned to construct “a consecutive tunnel system.”

“We are planning a tunnel road which will exceed 100 kilometers in Istanbul. One of our plans is to construct a consecutive tunnel system starting from Sarıyer to Büyükçekmece, which will be nearly 140 kilometers long. Those who want to go to Büyükçekmece from here will be able to reach the district in a very short period of time or will be able to visit the districts in between through these tunnels,” he said. 

Saying that the municipality placed emphasis on tunnel works in subway constructions, he noted that there were also projects planned for the Asian side of Istanbul. 

“We have planned to construct an 18 kilometer-long tunnel from Harem to Küçükköy and the Anatolian Castle. We are trying to solve the problems, whether they are from underground or above the ground,” he added.

Sarıyer Municipal Council members, representatives of non-governmental organizations, village heads, opinion leaders and citizens attended the meeting at the Sarıyer Culture Center. 

Topbaş also commented on the upcoming referendum, saying that if the AKP, with the support of the opposition Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), succeeds in telling the charter changes to the people, the “yes” votes will prepare the ground for Turkey’s future.

“If you decide to vote ‘yes’ in the referendum, not only voting ‘yes,’ but persuading the people around you to also vote ‘yes,’ we would be preparing Turkey’s future together. We are talking about a turning point and a milestone. We are seeing how FETÖ [Fethullahist Terrorist Organization] structured itself. The way to get rid of them is by forming strong governance,” he said. 

FETÖ, led by the U.S.-based Islamic preacher Fethullah Gülen, is widely believed to have been behind the July 15, 2016 failed coup attempt.