AMED - Stating that despite Turkey's commitment to protect it, the city walls of Amed and Hevsel Gardens were included in the "World Heritage List in Danger", Archaeologist Nevin Soyukaya said: "Our aim is to make the city a livable place again and to rebuild life."

 

The historical Amed Walls and Hevsel Gardens, which are on the World Cultural Heritage List of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), were included in the "World Cultural Heritage List in Danger" with a draft decision. The decision is expected to be finalized at the Cultural Heritage Center meeting to be held in Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia, on September 9-15. Evaluating the decision, Archaeologist Nevin Soyukaya, a member of the Amed City Conservation Platform, pointed out that the historical and cultural texture was destroyed and stated that the decision was taken late.

 

Stating that a point of no return has been reached, Soyukaya said that Turkey has not made an invitation since 2016, despite the decision of UNESCO to send a Reactive Mission. Stating that the Reactive Mission made determinations with a committee of 3 experts in November 2022, Soyukaya reminded that UNESCO took a decision in the light of the report prepared.

 

STATE DID NOT INTEREST IN SUR AND HEVSEL

 

Stating that they were prevented from entering the Sur district, which was destroyed during the conflict, destruction and construction processes, but they prepared a report by accessing the destruction data through satellite images, Soyukaya said: “We documented what was done in the area, listed what should not be done and sent it in writing to UNESCO. We conveyed it to the relevant state addresses, Turkish state did not interest in Sur and Hevsel but we were not taken into account in any way because a decision was made and they implemented this decision systematically over time. All the projects that we saw as wrong and warned, were also reached by the Reactive Mission because science is one, the results of technique and science have no differences.

 

TÜRKİYE MADE A COMMITMENT!

 

Stating that they were right in the process, Soyukaya said: “The decision is actually a very serious decision because while a work done locally becomes a world heritage, Turkey has made a commitment to protect them within the framework of area management plans prepared locally. UNESCO included them on the heritage list with this commitment. The point we have come to is a completely different situation, this is actually a decision that damages prestige, and the state needs to recover this damaged prestige. Our aim is to make the city a livable place again and to rebuild life.”

 

MA / Şilan Çil