What's happening at Sirkeci Train Station?

Seventeen restorers and conservators working on the restoration of Istanbul's historic Sirkeci Train Station have been laid off. The restorers, who received a text message during their lunch break informing them of their termination, stated that no reason had been provided. Seventeen other restorers and conservators working at the station, who learned the list of layoffs was even longer, also resigned.

Restorers working on site reported that the team working on the Beylerbeyi Palace restoration was brought to the Sirkeci Train Station as a group. The restorer, who asked to remain anonymous, explained the reason as "an authorized employee of the construction company brought his own team." The restorer emphasized the inadequacy of this team, emphasizing that their preliminary work at the train station had reached 21 layers and color combinations. He emphasized that the team brought here lacked this experience.

'THOSE WHO QUESTION THEM ARE NOT WANTED'

Here are the statements from restorers working in historical areas: “Excavators have arrived at the worksite. As is the case with many historical sites, we know that experts who question the restoration of the historic Sirkeci Train Station, which was awarded to a construction company through a tender, are not welcome. The excavators arriving at the site have raised questions for us. Today's trend in restoration is to demolish and rebuild. These projects require meticulous attention and expertise; not just anyone can be a restorer. Our rights have been ignored by the ministry for years.”

Announcing his dismissal on social media, archaeologist and restorer Emirhan Eskin said: “While we were on our lunch break at the Sirkeci Train Station, my supervisors, professional colleagues, and fellow students were dismissed without any adequate explanation, with our hard work, efforts, and professional expertise completely disregarded. Archaeology and restoration are fields pursued with patience, dedication, and passion, and require great sacrifice for the preservation of cultural heritage. The hard work of my colleagues, who toiled under the scorching sun and mud, sweating their sweat in the field, should not have been disregarded in this way. Today, not only a job has been lost, but also years of effort and the respect for this profession. However, as people dedicated to the preservation of cultural heritage, we will continue to produce and add value.”

29 YEARS!

Let's recall that last year, with a protocol signed between the Turkish State Railways (TCDD) and the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, the Sirkeci and Haydarpaşa Train Stations were transferred to the Ministry of Culture and Tourism for a period of 29 years. That same year, a tender was put out, and the results were announced five months later. Following the transfer to the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, Minister Mehmet Nuri Ersoy made a statement summarizing the process as follows: "There are registered structures currently idle at the 135-year-old historic Sirkeci Train Station. One of them will be a migration museum. Sirkeci was the starting point for Turkish citizens' migration to Europe, so a migration museum will be built here. Both Haydarpaşa and Sirkeci will have trains, culture and arts, and a public garden. But there will never be a shopping mall or hotel here."

'LOSSES IN RESTORATION!'

NEZİH BAŞGELEN

(Cultural and Natural Heritage Monitoring Platform Manager, Archaeologist-Editor)

Throughout Türkiye, there is a general confusion regarding the methodology to be applied to cultural heritage sites slated for restoration; the methods of rehabilitation, renovation, consolidation, demolition and reconstruction, and restoration are often confused. Mistakes and errors in these processes often result in significant losses. Renovation is often disguised as restoration, resulting in a significant loss of the cultural heritage's authenticity. Unfortunately, such losses are ubiquitous in restoration projects across the country, particularly in the last 30-40 years.