Fatih College basketball court demolished despite ongoing case

An excavator demolished the basketball court at the Fatih College campus located in Merter, İstanbul. (Photo: Today's Zaman)
An excavator demolished the basketball court at the Fatih College campus located in Merter, İstanbul. (Photo: Today's Zaman)


Date posted: July 29, 2015

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.

According to the Cihan news agency, Fatih College officials said the demolition is unlawful, noting that the case regarding the decision to construct a road through the college courtyard is still ongoing.

Fatih College has been in its location for 20 years but the municipality, controlled by the Justice and Development Party (AK Party), decided in October 2014 to construct a road through the college courtyard.

One of the school walls as well as the security guard’s office in the courtyard were demolished by teams from the municipality around midnight on Oct. 6, 2014 and during Eid al-Adha — an official holiday in Turkey. Sources had said the municipality did not send any written warning beforehand to the school administration about the demolition plans.

Parents of students at Fatih College gathered in front of city hall on Oct. 8 to protest the plan to construct a road through the college courtyard.

The head of the parent-teacher association, Nezihe Ehli, previously stated that schools are where the next generation is shaped and must therefore be protected. Ehli also noted that Fatih College’s Merter campus had outstanding successes between 2005 and 2014, grooming champions in high school entry exams, national and international scientific, sports and cultural Olympiads and many awards from the Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey (TÜBİTAK).

Fatih College is among the schools sympathetic to the Gülen movement, also known as the Hizmet movement and inspired by the ideas of Turkish Islamic scholar Fethullah Gülen. The movement, together with Gülen, has been targeted by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan ever since a corruption probe went public on Dec. 17, 2013, implicating senior members of the government.

Erdoğan accuses the movement of being behind the corruption operation and of being a criminal network seeking to overthrow the ruling party government. The movement strongly denies the claims.

Source: Today's Zaman , July 29, 2015

Tags: | | | |


Related News

Turkish school shows EU already chose Turkey

HASAN CÜCÜK, EMRE OĞUZ, COPENHAGEN State Minister and Chief EU Negotiator Egemen Bağış said, “We are trying to get into the EU, but as far as I can see thanks to this school the EU nations already prefer us.” The minister said every Turkish school opened abroad reflected the tolerance of Turkish culture. State Minister […]

Hundreds of young Turkish children jailed alongside their moms as part of a post-coup crackdown

“We were all treated like terrorists, we were isolated,” Kam, a 34-year-old university teacher, told Fox News from Germany, where she and her family are now refugees. “We were all humiliated. … I don’t know what was worse, to have my baby in the prison or to have my other son, who was 11, outside the prison.”

Turkish police brutally torture suspect over Gulen links

One of the most torture incidents reported province is Afyon in Turkey. Afyon Police brutally tortures suspects over Gulen links. One of the victims who is a teacher in this video tells about tortures he went through.

8.5-month pregnant woman under arrest though baby faces heart, kidney problems

With only days to go before the delivery, a Kayseri woman is still held under arrest even though her baby has heart and kidney problems. If she was not under arrest, the baby would have been treated before it was born.

Laughter-guaranteed terrorist organization indictment

With exaggerated details, they explain that they will sell the bottle of “miraculous” liquid they produce from their bags only for TL 100. After a brief bargaining, they put the bottle in your hands only for TL 5. When you get home, you understand that it was nothing but tap water mixed with essence and you get enraged.

What do people say about corruption, gov’t and Hizmet?

Do you find the corruption operation right? Yes: 60.5 percent. No: 26.5 percent. No answer: 13 percent. Do you believe in claims that some ministers were involved in corruption? Yes: 70.1 percent. No: 16.8 percent. No answer: 13.1 percent. Do you think the government is trying to cover up claims of corruption? Yes: 59.7 percent. No: 29.6 percent. No answer: 10.7 percent.

Latest News

Fethullah Gulen – man of education, peace and dialogue – passes away

Fethullah Gülen’s Condolence Message for South African Human Rights Defender Archbishop Desmond Tutu

Hizmet Movement Declares Core Values with Unified Voice

Ankara systematically tortures supporters of Gülen movement, Kurds, Turkey Tribunal rapporteurs say

Erdogan possessed by Pharaoh, Herod, Hitler spirits?

Devious Use of International Organizations to Persecute Dissidents Abroad: The Erdogan Case

A “Controlled Coup”: Erdogan’s Contribution to the Autocrats’ Playbook

Why is Turkey’s Erdogan persecuting the Gulen movement?

Purge-victim man sent back to prison over Gulen links despite stage 4 cancer diagnosis

In Case You Missed It

Trip to Turkey leaves a lasting impression

The Preventive Role of Culture in Women’s Empowerment: Possibilities and Challenges

Antioch came together over Iftar

Fenerbahçe’s Yıldırım calls on fans to attend protest

Peacebuilders Conference – Call for Papers:

Turkey’s permanent state of crisis

Mosaic Foundation brings together Denver’s prominent people over a friendship dinner

Copyright 2025 Hizmet News