Three Squares on a Line: Istiklal Street and Its Transition from State to Citizen

Beyoğlu is one of the most diverse and political districts of Istanbul, which has been through physical and social changes that started with the foundation of the Republican regime in 1923. It was the residential and working area for most of the non-Turkish population. Still, in the first years of the Republic, there was a need to Turkicize the area with new symbols of a new state ideology.

Istiklal Street -starting from Taksim Square and ending in Tunnel Square- is the most vibrant center of Beyoğlu; an axis that cuts the district from the middle. This most central and tourist point of the city is also the most famous point for demonstrations, marches, and protests - since before the Turkish government was even founded. This very visible spot became the newly built government’s celebration space by the Republic Monument built in 1928. The national holidays started to be celebrated in Taksim Square, with a march accompanied in Istiklal Street, which can be considered as a demonstration that reflects the desire to show the united Turkish state. After the multi-party era, Taksim Square and Istiklal Street started to become the most used marching and protesting area of citizens, especially with the opponent or marginal ideology, who felt not represented.

For years, Istiklal Street and the three squares were occupied for demonstrations, which brought us today’s restricted, surveilled, and forbidden to gather public space in the middle of the city. Through the years, changing governments always left a mark on public squares in Istanbul to represent their ideology, and to allow or restrict protests and even gatherings. Permanent or temporary structures were built but have never intervened as much as today.

Since the Gezi Park protests in 2013, police interference has become much more violent, disruptive, and more visible to the citizens. Restrictions got strong with the updated law of public gatherings and demonstrations in 2017. Women and LGBTI+ marches, Saturday People’s sit-ins, 1st of May protests, and many other rights-claiming movements needed to be replaced or even stopped because of the current restrictions.

The celebration route of 100 years ago government turned today into a non-place by the placement of police, barricades, and water cannon vehicles. The newly built mosque in Taksim Square also highlights the vision of the current state, to turn the marching square into a praying one.

This article studies the permanent and temporary structures built through the years on Istiklal Street and the three squares, the urban and social transformation, to see how architecture and urban design shape the social movements.

Research and pictures: Liana Kuyumcuyan

The article published on the 32nd issue of MONU Magazine with the theme Protest Urbanism monu-magazine.com