Engineer of the 3rd bridge: ‘I don’t know of Yavuz Sultan Selim’
Talking to France Info radio, the engineer of Michel Virlgeux made statements with regards to the recently opened 3rd Bosporus Bridge. According to the reports of SOL news portal, while claiming that the construction of the bridge was carried out in complete consciousness of the environment, Virlogeux has also said that he did not know of Yavuz Sultan Selim, which is the name given to the bridge.
As the host of the radio show made note of the historical fact that Yavuz Sultan Selim was the Ottoman sultan who massacred Alevis during his reign, Virlogeux replied by saying he ‘did not know Turkish history.’ Also answering the question on whether he has met President Erdoğan in person or not, Virlogeux stated ‘there has not been a chance for it, yet.’
While several workers lost their lives throughout the construction of the bridge and the highway, the last remaining forested areas of İstanbul has been destroyed and water basins have been impacted greatly.
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Controversy over the name of the bridge
With an estimated population of over 20 million, Alevis in Turkey constitute the second largest religious entity in the country after Sunni Muslims. Though widely understood as a sect of Islam falling within Shia lines, Alevis actually differ, in certain beliefs and rituals, significantly, not only from Sunnis but also from all other Shia sects throughout the Islamic world.
As a large minority group in Turkey, Alevis have been subjected to discrimination, isolation, and massacres throughout history, including both the times of the Ottoman rule, as well as, during the last century. And, their struggle for recognition of their rights and freedom of religion still continue today.
Yavuz Sultan Selim was the 9th Ottoman Sultan who is widely asserted as being responsible for the systematic killings of tens of thousands of Alevis during his rule, though there have also been arguments against this assertion by certain historians.
Since the initial announcement of AKP officials with regards to their choice of name for the 3rd bridge as Yavuz Sultan Selim, Alevis and many other civil society groups and institutions have expressed their objections to it several times. Most recently, CHP Chair Kılıçdaroğlu had suggested for the name to be ‘Atatürk Bridge’, during his meeting with the PM Yıldırım and MHP Chair Bahçeli at Çankara Prime Ministerial Palace, while CHP Parliamentary Group Chair Özgür Özel had previously proposed that the name should be Pir Sultan Abdal, an Alevi poet of the 16th century who is still admired and praised by Alevi communities in Turkey.
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