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Huge project ruined for TRT’s gain
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About four years ago, the Suna-İnan Kıraç Foundation decided to give an unforgettable gift to Istanbul. A cultural center was to be built at Tepebaşı, with $200 million obtained solely from Suna and İnan Kıraç. It was to be completed by 2010 and be just on time for the Istanbul Cultural Capital celebrations.
No such center exists in Istanbul which is the most important destination in the country and one-of-a-kind in Turkey. Neither the government nor the municipality has money to spare. They would not even think of it. Their priorities are different.Â
Frank Gehry, one of the world’s most important architects, has been contacted and agreements have been signed regarding the construction of this center. It would suffice if the center bore the signature of Frank Gehry, the world-renown architect of the Bilbao Guggenheim, Istanbul would gain an international status in the arts.
The most ideal place was thought to be where the ugly TRT building is, not used more than once or twice a year. It is located in Tepebaşı and partly owned by the municipality. The first support for the project came from the prime minister.
He congratulated İnan Kıraç and instructed the municipality to allocate this place to the foundation for a period of 49 years. Thereafter he called TRT and told them the municipality would assign a new location to them, the Foundation would buy the building and no loss would be encountered, on the contrary, they would own a better location. Topbaş was very exited and gave his full support.
Kıraç and Topbaş shook hands in July this year in front of TV cameras. According to the plan, the municipality would rent the land for 49 years and TRT would sell its building for $14 million. The deal was done. Everybody was exited when everything, all of a sudden, changed. First the municipality said according to the rules they could only rent the land for 30 years, not 49. Then TRT came along requesting more money.
Apparently some bureaucrats whispered in the ear of the general manager things like, "Sir, this building is very precious. $14 million is not realistic. Let a private company check the difference in value, or apply an interest rate for elapsed time. If you do not do this you may be sued for financially harming the government. You might be accused of giving a present from the precious entity to the private sector. You might even be imprisoned. The media will take you apart."
Ä°brahim Åžahin became scared.
He was not wrong. Who would not be scared É The general manager then assigned a private company to appraise the land value. The result; the price jumped to $24 million.
The Kıraç Foundation objected. It drew attention to the company’s evaluation mistake for the same building, appraised at $5.5 million in 2002 by TRT, and quoted other prices for buildings and ground plots at the same location.
But nobody would listen.
The price for the $14 million ground plot was raised to $24 million; nobody would dare to sell it for less...
The Kıraç Foundation was fed up.
The project dragged on for four years, a new rip-off price worth $10 million more, was asked for. The trustees, who considered themselves an easy touch, are at a point of withdrawing from the project, especially in view of the newly and unpredictable economic crises.
İnan Kıraç is totally right.
The attitude of the Turkish bureaucracy is incredible in view of the fact that in other countries free land is assigned for cultural projects by generous people who contribute to the country with these presents. You will shortly hear that Istanbul missed out on an immense project.
I cannot blame the general manager of TRT as he is a government official. I can see tomorrow’s headlines; TRT made a present out of government property... then who will protect the general manager. We do not know where Tayyip Erdoğan will be. Even if he is the administration, nobody can say for sure that he will spend much effort saving him.
I recommend the prime minister, if his support continues, to lift the heavy weight of this responsibility from the shoulders of the TRT general manager. He should support İbrahim Şahin now. The prime ministry should agree with the Kıraç Foundation directly, and if need be, pay TRT the difference, or erase debt of this amount and pave the way for the project. They should not forget this project is worth $200 million and if it is not realized because TRT is to earn $9 million more than the general manager, the administration will be blamed for "sabotaging Istanbul."
Let us not forget the Kıraç Foundation is not planning to build a supermarket. This land, by law, can only be used for cultural purposes. In other words, it is a piece of land that cannot be sold to anybody else.
Frank Gehry, one of the world’s most important architects, has been contacted and agreements have been signed regarding the construction of this center. It would suffice if the center bore the signature of Frank Gehry, the world-renown architect of the Bilbao Guggenheim, Istanbul would gain an international status in the arts.
The most ideal place was thought to be where the ugly TRT building is, not used more than once or twice a year. It is located in Tepebaşı and partly owned by the municipality. The first support for the project came from the prime minister.
He congratulated İnan Kıraç and instructed the municipality to allocate this place to the foundation for a period of 49 years. Thereafter he called TRT and told them the municipality would assign a new location to them, the Foundation would buy the building and no loss would be encountered, on the contrary, they would own a better location. Topbaş was very exited and gave his full support.
Kıraç and Topbaş shook hands in July this year in front of TV cameras. According to the plan, the municipality would rent the land for 49 years and TRT would sell its building for $14 million. The deal was done. Everybody was exited when everything, all of a sudden, changed. First the municipality said according to the rules they could only rent the land for 30 years, not 49. Then TRT came along requesting more money.
Apparently some bureaucrats whispered in the ear of the general manager things like, "Sir, this building is very precious. $14 million is not realistic. Let a private company check the difference in value, or apply an interest rate for elapsed time. If you do not do this you may be sued for financially harming the government. You might be accused of giving a present from the precious entity to the private sector. You might even be imprisoned. The media will take you apart."
Ä°brahim Åžahin became scared.
He was not wrong. Who would not be scared É The general manager then assigned a private company to appraise the land value. The result; the price jumped to $24 million.
The Kıraç Foundation objected. It drew attention to the company’s evaluation mistake for the same building, appraised at $5.5 million in 2002 by TRT, and quoted other prices for buildings and ground plots at the same location.
But nobody would listen.
The price for the $14 million ground plot was raised to $24 million; nobody would dare to sell it for less...
The Kıraç Foundation was fed up.
The project dragged on for four years, a new rip-off price worth $10 million more, was asked for. The trustees, who considered themselves an easy touch, are at a point of withdrawing from the project, especially in view of the newly and unpredictable economic crises.
İnan Kıraç is totally right.
The attitude of the Turkish bureaucracy is incredible in view of the fact that in other countries free land is assigned for cultural projects by generous people who contribute to the country with these presents. You will shortly hear that Istanbul missed out on an immense project.
I cannot blame the general manager of TRT as he is a government official. I can see tomorrow’s headlines; TRT made a present out of government property... then who will protect the general manager. We do not know where Tayyip Erdoğan will be. Even if he is the administration, nobody can say for sure that he will spend much effort saving him.
I recommend the prime minister, if his support continues, to lift the heavy weight of this responsibility from the shoulders of the TRT general manager. He should support İbrahim Şahin now. The prime ministry should agree with the Kıraç Foundation directly, and if need be, pay TRT the difference, or erase debt of this amount and pave the way for the project. They should not forget this project is worth $200 million and if it is not realized because TRT is to earn $9 million more than the general manager, the administration will be blamed for "sabotaging Istanbul."
Let us not forget the Kıraç Foundation is not planning to build a supermarket. This land, by law, can only be used for cultural purposes. In other words, it is a piece of land that cannot be sold to anybody else.
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