In a written statement made by the municipality, it was stated that it was necessary to make some statements regarding the painting of the stairs in Cihangir in the colors of the Palestinian flag. According to eyewitness accounts, it was determined that the stairs were painted in the colors of the Palestinian flag by an unidentified group of young people at around 06:00 on Sunday, August 4, 2024. This situation was evaluated as “The reflection of the Palestinian flag, which fights against the genocidal massacre, on a staircase where many people climb the steps has deeply wounded the public conscience.”
Beyoğlu Municipality emphasized that it considers the flags of nations as sacred and noted the following: “While we state that we stand by the Palestinian people in their just cause, we believe that this support should be presented in a respectful manner, not in an offensive manner. For this reason, instead of a flag, a symbolic image of Hanzala, “One of the symbols of the Palestinian intifada has been hung in the area to be drawn permanently in the future. The Palestinian flag will stand in the place it deserves and deserves, in the sky, not on the ground.”
In addition, the statement also stated that in order to prevent misunderstandings about the work carried out with the assistance of security forces, neighbors in the area were informed with a banner hung on the stairs. “We will continue to defend the just cause of the Palestinian people by respecting national symbols,” it reiterated their sensitivity to the issue.
Mayor Güney’s Statements
Beyoğlu Mayor İnan Güney made a statement on his social media account, “We see that our people from all walks of life in our country are on the side of humanity against genocidal groups; I have also clearly stated my stance against this issue. However, it is hurtful and wrong to paint the flag of a nation that is particularly struggling for its existence somewhere on the march route. Therefore, it has become inevitable for us to remove the flag picture on the stairs, one of the symbolic drawings of the Palestinian cause. “The Palestinian flag will take its place in a place that suits it.”He used the expressions.
Why Are Stairs Painted?
The Istanbul Provincial Representative of the Seven Crescents Association painted the stairs in Cihangir in rainbow colors, turning them into the colors of the Palestinian flag in order to react to Israel’s attacks on Gaza and to support Palestine in this process. This incident attracted a lot of attention on social media; Citizens who took photos on the stairs shared the following on their social media accounts: “Cihangir stairs are more beautiful like this!”They supported this action by sharing the before and after states of the stairs with the note, The association emphasized that the main purpose of the painting on the steep, unvisited part of the stairs was to not let people forget Palestine.
