Parents protest demolition of Fatih College wall

Parents of Fatih College students gathered on Wednesday to protest the İstanbul Metropolitan Municipality’s destruction school’s wall. (Photo: Today's Zaman)
Parents of Fatih College students gathered on Wednesday to protest the İstanbul Metropolitan Municipality’s destruction school’s wall. (Photo: Today's Zaman)


Date posted: October 9, 2014

Parents from Merter Fatih College gathered in front of the İstanbul Metropolitan Municipality building on Wednesday to protest the demolition the wall of the school as well as a security cabin in the school’s courtyard by municipal teams in the early hours of Tuesday morning.

The municipality, which is run by the governing Justice and Development Party (AK Party), had earlier decided to construct a road through the courtyard of the school, which is affiliated with the Hizmet movement — one of the largest faith-based communities in Turkey.

Teams from the municipality arrived at the school around midnight and rapidly demolished one of the walls surrounding the courtyard and a security cabin nearby. Sources said the municipality did not send any written warning to the school administration about the demolition plans beforehand. What was more unusual was that the demolition took place at midnight and during Eid — an official holiday in Turkey.

Lawyer Fikret Duran said he will file a law suit against the municipality and demand that the municipality compensate the financial loss incurred to the school by the demolition.

The school’s parent-teacher association head, Nezihe Ehli, said schools are the places where the next generation is shaped. These institutions must be cared for as they are home to some of the best students in the city, Ehli added. Ehli also noted that Fatih College’s Merter campus had outstanding successes between 2005 and 2014, having champions in high schools entry exams, national and international scientific, sportive and cultural Olympiads and many awards from the Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey (TÜBİTAK). The school has been open for 20 years.

Neşe Solgun, a parent of a child at Fatih College, said the students will not be secure if there is no wall around the school and that it is meaningless to build a road through the middle of the school. “Why are they doing this work at this time?,” Solgun asked, saying that the municipality purposefully started the demolition now and not during summer vacation.

Source: Today's Zaman , October 8, 2014

Tags: | | | |


Related News

Gülen calls for support to a [presidential] candidate with true integrity

Commenting on the upcoming presidential elections on Sunday, Islamic scholar Fethullah Gülen has urged Turks not to cast their vote for a candidate who oppresses citizens, does injustice to them and disregards the rule of law.

Ayan: Halkbank operated like Iran’s Central Bank

“The extent of this operation is far beyond the reach of the cemaat [the Hizmet movement],” [“The extent of this operation is far beyond the reach of the cemaat [the Hizmet movement],” Famous Turkish investor Nasrullah Ayan said. He thinks, rather, that powerful international groups could have pulled the trigger or provided technical support to the probe. He pointed to the fact that the operation was launched after the agreement between Iran and the P5+1 nations in Geneva — which gave Iran partial relief from a harsh regime of

Gülen issues message of condolences for slain prosecutor Kiraz

Turkish Islamic scholar Fethullah Gülen has offered his deep condolences to family of Prosecutor Mehmet Selim Kiraz, who was killed after a deadly hostage crisis on Tuesday.

Thai minister thanks to Turkish schools for contribution to education

Panadda Diskul who is State Minister and Undersecretary of Thai Prime Ministry expressed his thanks to Turkish schools for theit contribution to education during his visit one of the schools.

Fatih College basketball court demolished despite ongoing case

Construction equipment entered Fatih College in İstanbul’s Merter neighborhood on Tuesday, demolishing a basketball court in the school courtyard, despite the fact that a case regarding a decision by the İstanbul Metropolitan Municipality to construct a road through the courtyard is still ongoing.

New Constitution expected to eradicate remnants of Feb. 28 coup

Journalist Nazlı Ilıcak told Today’s Zaman that important steps have been taken to eradicate the remnants of Feb. 28 but Turkey needs to take more steps, via a new Constitution, to achieve overall democratization. However, Ilıcak noted that Turkey needs to take further steps towards democratization and settling its major problems, such as the Kurdish problem, through a new Constitution, which she said would contribute to make democratization permanent.

Latest News

Turkish inmate jailed over alleged Gülen links dies of heart attack in prison

Message of Condemnation and Condolences for Mass Shooting at Bondi Beach, Sydney

Media executive Hidayet Karaca marks 11th year in prison over alleged links to Gülen movement

ECtHR faults Turkey for convictions of 2,420 applicants over Gülen links in follow-up to 2023 judgment

New Book Exposes Erdoğan’s “Civil Death Project” Targeting the Hizmet Movement

European Human Rights Treaty Faces Legal And Political Tests

ECtHR rejects Turkey’s appeal, clearing path for retrials in Gülen-linked cases

Erdoğan’s Civil Death Project’ : The ‘politicide’ spanning more than a decade

Fethullah Gülen’s Vision and the Purpose of Hizmet

In Case You Missed It

Fethullah Gülen: alleged coup mastermind – and friendly neighbor

Men accused of attempting to rape 6 teachers: We thought they were Gulenists

A Festival of Dialogue Exploring Multiculturalism and Language Diversity

Another woman faces detention just after giving birth as police await at hospital

Gülen: The coronavirus changed how Ramadan looks. But it will not change our faith in God

Parallel state hunt makes McCarthyism look like child’s play

Kimse Yok mu delivers aid in Palestine during Eid al-Adha

Copyright 2026 Hizmet News