Atatürk Airport, located in the south of Istanbul, was closed to commercial flights after the opening of Istanbul Airport in 2019.

After it was closed, construction began in the airport to turn it into a “nation’s garden.”

The damage to the airport’s runways were also seen in the photos. The experts and opposition deem the construction of a park at the airport as a waste of huge amount of public source.

After its closure, the airport has been open only for maintenance, general aviation, air taxis, business flights and state and diplomatic aircraft. The airport was closed to cargo flights as of Feb. 2, 2022.

145,300 trees will be planted in the park and a 2.5 kilometer long artificial stream will be created.