Top Turkish court condemns presidential palace on Atatürk Forest Farm

Duvar English

Turkey's Court of Cassations annulled legislation that allowed construction on historical protection zones, effectively condemning President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's residence dubbed "the palace" built on protected Atatürk Forest Farm (AOÇ) land.

The annulled legislation, Resolution 271 was created immediately after a court ruled against the construction of a presidential complex on the AOÇ land in Ankara in 2014.

Atatürk Forest Farm was started when trees were planted on 2,000 hectares of land in 1925, a mass forestation effort led by the Turkish republic's founder Mustafa Kemal Atatürk.

The forest more than doubled in size by 1937, reaching 5,200 hectares of trees that were initially thought not to be suitable for the harsh climate of central Anatolia. 

The forest farm became public property upon Atatürk's death, until President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's mass presidential complex took up some of the greenery, 310,000 square-meters at the end of 2016. 

The Court of Cassations' cancellation of Resolution 271 "solidified the illegality of the illicit palace," Ankara Architects Chamber Chairman Tezcan Karakuş Candan said. 

The ruling also confirms that AOÇ land can not be built on, Candan noted, as it is legally considered a primary protection zone. 

"Having sworn an oath to adhere to the constitution and the law, the president should do what's necessary," Candan said, urging Erdoğan to move into Çankaya Mansion, the residence of presidents in the history of the republic.

The chamber will present the top court's decision for 160 other lawsuits they have on file against the destruction of AOÇ land, Candan added, and urged the forest to be returned to its original purpose that Atatürk set forth in his will.