The Ankara court ruled last Wednesday that the Akay intersection, located in one of the Turkish capital's busiest areas, must be closed to traffic after an appeal from the Çankaya Municipality, which is run by the Republican People's Party (CHP). The intersection was built in 1999 to relieve traffic flow in the area, and the court made its ruling on the grounds that the intersection violates the city's zoning plan.In a statement to the Anatolia news agency, Yiğiner said the Akay intersection was one of the most important intersections in the capital. All those who believe that Turkey is a state of law must respect the court's ruling, Yiğiner cautioned. “The solution to this issue is in the hands of the Çankaya Municipality, the Ankara Metropolitan Municipality and the justice system. We know that the metropolitan municipality has applied to a higher court,” he said, referring to Ankara Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Melih Gökçek's vow last week that he would apply to the Council of State for a stay of execution on the court's ruling.
“This is a positive development in overcoming this problem but the shortest route [to overcoming this problem] is for the Çankaya Municipality to withdraw its case. … It has been nine years since the intersection was opened. Justice must work very slowly in our country. If this [court] decision had been made at that time, nobody would have said anything about it,” Yiğiner said. He said that no matter what happens, the appeals process must also be sped up.
“I think this problem will be solved because what is at hand is not an impassable issue, but if the sides involved are not in favor of a solution, then there is nothing that can be done. If they enforce the decision to close the intersection, Ankara traffic will be paralyzed when the new school year begins. There have also been statements made in some circles that taxi drivers' associations plan to strike in protest of the intersection's closing -- this is not an issue because if the intersection is closed, there will not be any traffic anyways,” he said.
