Topkapı may see ban on alcohol
Güncelleme Tarihi:
by Ümit Erdem - Hurriyet
Oluşturulma Tarihi: Mayıs 21, 2009 00:00
ANKARA - The Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality is taking into consideration a legal petition it received from a citizen calling for restaurants located on the grounds of Topkapı Palace to be banned from serving alcohol in the future.
The petition filed by Necat Selimoğlu requests the alcohol permit for the Konyalı Restaurant be re-examined in accordance with the Cultural and Natural Heritage Conservation Law.
"I petition that the alcohol permit, which as if to curse the face of the space that contains even the tooth of Islam’s prophet, be reconsidered under the Cultural and Natural Heritage Conservation Law and processes begun," read the petition filed by the citizen.
The director of the Municipality Conservation, Enforcement and Auditing Agency, or KUDEP, Şimsek Deniz, forwarded the petition along with a note from him to the Conservation Council, the Fatih District Municipality, the Istanbul Revenue Office Real Estate Directorate and the Health Office Directorate. KUDEP’s note states that Topkapı Palace is a shared Islamic place and that the restaurant is only 50 meters from the Sacred Loans Office. Şimşek said that they forwarded the petition without any commentary.
Konyalı Restaurant owner, Savaş Bulut, said they had been serving on the Palace grounds for 40 years and serving alcohol for the last five.
"We are an establishment that specifically serves tourists. But we have the tourism and alcohol permit that the government gave us," Bulut said.
"I petition that the alcohol permit, which as if to curse the face of the space that contains even the tooth of Islam’s prophet, be reconsidered under the Cultural and Natural Heritage Conservation Law and processes begun," read the petition filed by the citizen.
The director of the Municipality Conservation, Enforcement and Auditing Agency, or KUDEP, Şimsek Deniz, forwarded the petition along with a note from him to the Conservation Council, the Fatih District Municipality, the Istanbul Revenue Office Real Estate Directorate and the Health Office Directorate. KUDEP’s note states that Topkapı Palace is a shared Islamic place and that the restaurant is only 50 meters from the Sacred Loans Office. Şimşek said that they forwarded the petition without any commentary.
Konyalı Restaurant owner, Savaş Bulut, said they had been serving on the Palace grounds for 40 years and serving alcohol for the last five.
"We are an establishment that specifically serves tourists. But we have the tourism and alcohol permit that the government gave us," Bulut said.