New trees planted in Istanbul’s Taksim Square as part of landscape project

ISTANBUL

DHA photo

A total of 20 new trees were planted in Istanbul’s symbolic Taksim Square by the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality late on June 1, Doğan News Agency has reported.

Previously, 30 trees were planted by municipality teams as part of a landscape project in Taksim. A total of 50 trees were planted, including 10 plane trees, 18 oak trees, 17 linden trees and five olive trees. 

The landscape works in Taksim Square have been continuing with the addition of the new trees.

On May 28, Beyoğlu district mayor Ahmet Misbah Demircan said the trees would be planted in Taksim Square after ongoing construction works, daily Habertürk reported.

Demircan said there would be trees in Taksim Square and İstiklal Avenue, but added that there were infrastructural differences between putting up trees in parks and in squares.

“There are fundamental differences between planting trees in parks and squares. So, there is a different kind of planting work happening. There will be trees on the İstiklal Avenue; even more beautiful than before,” he said.

The landscape works have coincided with the fourth anniversary of the Gezi protests. 

The Gezi protests erupted on May 27, 2013, when a small group of protesters refused to leave Gezi Park in Taksim to prevent the cutting down of trees where a large development project was planned by the government.

Following the government’s harsh response, protests spread to the whole country on May 31, 2013. Eight young people were killed in police violence over the subsequent summer.