Main campus of Istanbul University to be renovated

The renovation and restoration plan of the main campus of Istanbul University, which is located in the Beyazıt district of Istanbul and contains the faculties of pharmacy, science and education, and the campus' cafeteria, has been approved by majority vote in the Istanbul City Council.

During the voting, controversy occurred between members of the Republican People's Party (CHP) and the Justice and Development Party (AK Party) about the protection of the historical peninsula's cultural texture. While members from the CHP asserted that plan should be issued by architectural competition instead of the council's decision, AK Party members said the plan contains the re-establishment of unstable buildings and it was prepared accordingly by the Preservation Board, which balances the buildings' convenience with the area's historical texture.

The CHP's group spokesman for the city council, Tonguç Çoban expressed their concern about the possible increasing density on the peninsula, even though it is an education project. He also said there is no project that caters to possible archaeological discoveries that might be found during the renovation process. The AK Party's council member said experts from the Archaeology Museum and other related institutions will get involved if they find artefacts.