Something serious - please read
Ok now for a bit of controversy. I usually avoid modern politics on here, but feel this is important.
As many of you know, I was lucky enough to visit Istanbul recently and walk the length of the Theodosian land walls. I was pleasantly surprised to discover that the gates have been recently restored, alongside the opening of new cafes and parks and public spaces. The restoration is accompanied by plenty of information on the Byzantine history of the Land Walls, so there is no attempt here to hide or erase Byzantine/Roman history.
I understand that much of this work has been overseen by Dr Mahir Polat (above), a Turkish academic and Deputy Secretary General of the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (IBB). He is also a cultural heritage expert and art historian, and the man who initiated and led the IBB Cultural Heritage Project, focused on preserving and restoring the city's historical sites, including the ancient walls.
Dr Polat was recently arrested by Erdogan's government on charges of terrorism. He is in very poor health and earlier this month was transferred to house arrest. He is, apparently, a political ally of Erdogan's main rival, the Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu, who was also arrested.
It doesn't take a genius to figure out what is really going on here. The charges of 'terrorism' against Dr Polat relate to both his political profile and conversation work i.e. he is a threat, both for supporting İmamoğlu and for attempting to restore those parts of Istanbul's history that Erdogan dislikes. It is worth repeating that Dr Polat is Turkish.
Enough said. Attached is a pic of the man himself, and some of my pics of Mevlanakapi, known as the Rhegium gate in Roman times.
This is a real reminder to resist authoritarian moves, early and often, before they become too strong and quotidian. Scholarship and respect for cultural heritage should never be targeted, particularly at such a personal level. To charge an open-minded public administrator with “terrorism” is truly outrageous. Thanks for bringing it to our attention.
This is so sad. People that cry about dictatorship when their post is being flagged as fake news have no idea how real dictatorships work and what it's like to being jailed just for speaking out your opinion.