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ErdoÄŸan warns minister, mayors not to build skyscrapers as far as possible

06 April 2013 17:59 (UTC +04:00)

Baku-APA. Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip ErdoÄŸan has called on Environment and Urban Planning Minister ErdoÄŸan Bayraktar and municipal mayors not to allow construction of skyscrapers as far as possible, APA reports quoting Todays Zaman.

“I am appealing all of my mayors and my environment minister. We should not erect skyscrapers unless there is some exceptional situation,” ErdoÄŸan said while speaking during the inauguration ceremony of an urban transformation project in Ä°stanbul on Saturday.

“We should attach importance to aesthetics which we derive from our culture. Can a 40, 50 or 60-storey building still be aesthetic? Yes it can. I am not denying this. But I would like to say that people should live close to the ground. We should build residences which would be easy for our children to live in,” ErdoÄŸan continued.

ErdoÄŸan warned mayors against unplanned and improper urbanization last week as well at the Fourth Local Administrations Symposium organized by the Justice and Development Party (AK Party) in Ankara. ErdoÄŸan urged those who think only of “stone and concrete” when it comes to city planning to re-evaluate their ideas and create cities that have “souls and direction.”