New debate stirs on mosque construction in eastern Istanbul

Constructing a considerably large mosque in the heart of Istanbul's Asian side is among the plans published by Turkey's urbanization ministry, with a local municipality official saying the area in question is technically not convenient for construction. 

The plan to construct a "grand mosque" right by the sea in Istanbul's Kad?köy district was brought to the table upon demands of the Prime Ministry, the Presidency of Religious Affairs and the Istanbul Mufti's Office, daily Hürriyet reported.

The Environment and Urbanization Ministry has listed the construction plan of a "grand mosque" among its future projects, with the plan showing an area currently used as a car park near the Kad?köy sea bus pier as the area considered for the mosque's construction.

The fate of the area in question was left to the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (?BB) on June 7, 2005, upon an agreement between the ?BB and the Finance Ministry.  

According to a reconstruction plan dated Oct. 8, 2012, the 34,000-square-meter area being considered for the mosque's construction was stated to be a partly green area, or "breathing space."

A significantly large part of the area was created by landfilling, which has drawn criticisms by officials both from the ?BB and the Kad?köy District Municipality.

"Constructing a mosque on an area created by landfilling is inconvenient in geological terms," said Hüseyin Sa?, an assembly member both in the ?BB and the Kad?köy Municipality. 

Kad?köy Mayor Aykurt Nuho?lu slammed the construction plan made upon demands of the Ankara-based governmental bodies and noted that any construction plan within the borders of Kad?köy should be proposed by consent of Kad?köy residents.

"This totally is a...