Editing Atatürk Airport (section)

=== Atatürk Airport National Garden ===
Turkey's government announced its plans to construct a giant park on the grounds of the former Istanbul Atatürk Airport (whose operations were transferred to the new Istanbul Airport) in 2019.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=Ataturk Airport from a Global Airport to a Beach Park {{!}} CCT Investments |url=https://www.cctinvestments.com/ataturk-airport-from-a-global-airport-to-a-beach-park/ |access-date=2023-03-19 |language=en-US}}</ref> The park is part of a larger urban transformation plan that seeks to correct some of the haphazard urban planning that characterised most major Turkish cities since the 1970s.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |last=SABAH |first=DAILY |date=2020-06-05 |title=10 new parks open as Turkey seeks to make cities greener |url=https://www.dailysabah.com/turkey/10-new-parks-open-as-turkey-seeks-to-make-cities-greener/news |access-date=2023-03-19 |website=Daily Sabah |language=en-US}}</ref> Due to the little space available to construct or expand green spaces, new parks are often constructed on spots formerly occupied by factories or other major facilities.

The Atatürk Airport National Garden will be constructed on and around one of the two runways of Atatürk Airport.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web |title=Discovery Istanbul: The green city |url=https://www.petitfute.co.uk/v42351-istanbul/decouvrir/d67-the-green-city/ |access-date=2023-03-19 |website=www.petitfute.co.uk}}</ref> These runways were already rendered unusable after they were chosen as the site for Istanbul's pandemic hospital in early 2020.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Oryx |title=Atatürk Airport National Garden - The Green Lung Of Istanbul |url=https://www.oryxspioenkop.com/2022/06/ataturk-airport-national-garden-green.html |access-date=2023-03-19 |website=Oryx}}</ref> More than 132,500 trees are to be planted in place of the asphalt runway and taxiways that will also help to keep the city cooler.<ref name=":0" /> The other runway is set to remain in use for select cargo and private jet flights, aviation fairs (such as Teknofest) and for use by the [[Turkish Air Force]] (which still maintains a small training base and the [[Istanbul Aviation Museum]] here).{{Citation needed|date=April 2025}}

The leader of the [[Republican People's Party]] (CHP) [[Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu]] called the proposed construction of the park "treason" and threatened to hold those responsible to account.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Sabah |first=Daily |date=2022-05-17 |title=Istanbul's old airport set to get green makeover amid opposition |url=https://www.dailysabah.com/turkey/istanbul/istanbuls-old-airport-set-to-get-green-makeover-amid-opposition |access-date=2023-03-19 |website=Daily Sabah |language=en-US}}</ref>

Construction commenced in 2022.<ref name=":3">{{Cite web |last= |first= |date=2024-02-12 |title=Top court rules against construction of ‘nation’s garden’ at İstanbul’s former airport after its demolition |url=https://www.turkishminute.com/2024/02/12/top-court-ruled-against-construction-of-nation-garden-at-istanbuls-former-airport-after-its-demolition/ |access-date=2025-04-12 |website=Turkish Minute |language=}}</ref> First areas of the park were opened to the public in 2023.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-05-06 |title=Atatürk Havalimanı Millet Bahçesi'nin ilk etabı açıldı |url=https://www.aa.com.tr/tr/gundem/ataturk-havalimani-millet-bahcesinin-ilk-etabi-acildi/2890882 |access-date=2025-04-12 |website=[[Anadolu Agency]] |language=tr}}</ref> In 2024, the [[Council of State (Turkey)|Council of State]] cancelled the construction [[Invitation to tender|tender]], following a lawsuit filed by [[Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality]].<ref name=":3" /><ref>{{Cite web |last= |first= |date=2024-02-12 |title=Turkish State Council cancels Urbanization Ministry’s nation garden project for Atatürk Airport |url=https://www.duvarenglish.com/turkish-state-council-cancels-urbanization-ministrys-nation-garden-project-for-ataturk-airport-news-63828 |access-date=2025-04-12 |website=Duvar English}}</ref>