Warning from Nature Activists about Maçka Park: “If We Don’t Say ‘Stop’, Istanbul Will Be Riddled!”

People gathered by the call of Initiative for Maçka Park to protest the uprooting of 199 trees from Maçka Park within the frame of Dolmabahçe-Levazım-Baltalimanı-Ayazağa highway tunnel project.

Citizens first held a panel discussion about the project first.

Çağdaş Öztürk read the press statement on behalf of the group and called for everyone who uses Maçka Park:

“No highway tunnel can be built under a park. If so, exhaust smoke coming out will pollute the clean air over the park. İstanbul Metropolitan Municipality decided to build highway tunnels or underground car parks under each park and green area. If this happens, rain water will not meet the soil and floods will become normal for this city, even after a light rain. If we don’t say ‘stop’, Istanbul will be riddled.”