Ministry transfers more than 1,000 historic properties to defunct Ottoman-era foundations

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The Ministry of Tourism and Culture General Directorate of Foundations has announced that it has transferred 1,014 immovable historic properties in İstanbul to "fused foundations."

The opposition-led İstanbul Metropolitan Municipality (IMM) revealed last week that the property of the city's symbolic Gezi Park was taken away from it and was handed over to the Sultan Bayezid Foundation.

The land the park lies on belonged to the mentioned foundation in the Ottoman era and was handed over to the municipality between 1939 and 1941, the directorate stated.

The foundations that were established before the enactment of the Turkish Civil Code in 1926 and that have no executives now are called "fused foundations" and their rights are protected by the directorate today, it explained.

It noted that the transfer of the properties was based on article 30 of the Foundations Law No. 5737, which states that cultural assets that were built by foundations and were later transferred to the Treasury or municipalities should be returned to fused foundations.

The buildings transferred to fused foundations include Galata Tower, Selimiye Barracks, Adile Sultan Palace, Pera Palas Hotel, Vefa High School, Şişli Etfal Hospital and Sait Halim Pasha Mansion and Gezi Park, according to the directorate. (HA/VK)