Leading figures from the cultural and artistic spheres gathered in Beyoğlu with the aim of revitalizing the district’s vibrant arts scene. Hosting the event, Beyoğlu Mayor İnan Güney made a public appeal to the arts community, saying: “Let’s come together and launch the Beyoğlu Culture and Arts Platform. Let’s take this step—one that will bring color, life, and spirit back to Beyoğlu—together.”
The Beyoğlu Municipality is working to restore the district to its former days when it was synonymous with culture and the arts. In line with this vision, Mayor İnan Güney recently held a “Culture and Arts Gathering” at the Barcelo Hotel. The event brought together representatives from cultural institutions based in Beyoğlu, cultural attachés, galleries, and prominent names from the worlds of cinema, theater, music, and literature. A robust exchange of ideas was held to chart a course for the future of culture and the arts in Beyoğlu. Participants discussed potential collaborative projects and voiced their commitment to making the district a vibrant cultural hub once again.
Reviving Beyoğlu
In his speech, Mayor İnan Güney emphasized their commitment to developing effective policies to elevate Beyoğlu’s cultural and artistic life:
“We’re not interested in short-term solutions—we’re working to build the future. From our first day in office, we launched a major initiative. We listened to artists and experts in the field, received extensive feedback, and learned from every conversation. We assessed our resources, strengthened our institutional capacity, and outlined a grounded and future-oriented vision.
We speak of a ‘Shared Beyoğlu’: where art is accessible to all residents and visitors. We say ‘Revive Beyoğlu’: we aim to shake off the inertia and bring the district back to life as a center of art and creativity. We declare ‘Space Beyoğlu’: we will collectively respond to the pressing needs of cultural production and access, expanding our capabilities together. And we say ‘Collaboration in Beyoğlu’: by working hand in hand with all stakeholders and institutions in the arts and culture field, we will ensure a flourishing cultural environment in our city.”
A Shared Effort: The Beyoğlu Culture and Arts Platform
Mayor Güney also extended a direct invitation to the cultural community:
“Even before I was elected, I promised my artist friends that I would focus on this issue. We’ve laid strong institutional and human foundations. Now, I believe we’ve reached the maturity to build a formal structure on those foundations. That’s why I am calling on everyone here today: let’s establish the Beyoğlu Culture and Arts Platform together. Let’s take this step to restore soul, life, and color to our beloved Beyoğlu.
I believe this room has the will to take that step for our city and for future generations. Our vision is to implement a democratic model in which the Culture and Arts Platform acts as a constructive, guiding, and defining body—while the municipality plays the role of implementer on behalf of the public. Because for us, the artists and cultural figures of Beyoğlu are not just recipients of services; they are vital partners in our mission to rebuild the district. And we believe this model will become a benchmark not just for Beyoğlu, but for all of Turkey.”
Beyoğlu: A Meeting Point of Cultures
Prominent cultural figures also spoke at the gathering. Journalist Zeynep Oral stressed the importance of involving more young people in such initiatives. Tuğrul Eryılmaz emphasized the need to focus on concrete projects. Actor Halil Ergün reflected on the symbolic and emotional importance of Beyoğlu:
“I’m a small-town boy. I came from İznik. Reaching Beyoğlu used to be a dream. Walking through it was a richness in itself. Do you know this place? With its pastry shops and shops, this avenue is legendary. And now, look around—certain people come and go, and you can feel what has changed. İstiklal Street is something else entirely—it is the heart of theater, cinema, novels, poetry… All cultural currents converge in Beyoğlu. They lived here. They were created here. The program our mayor has presented must rise upon this reality—we must look at it that way.”
Burhan Şeşen, musician and chairman of MÜYORBİR (Music Performers’ Society of Turkey), added:
“As the representative of 3,000 performers in Turkey, we would be delighted to take part in the Culture and Arts Platform.”
Actor Orhan Aydın proposed a more in-depth process:
“We need to organize a workshop—whether it’s three days or a week long. We need to sit down and articulate what needs to be done. We have to discuss how to organize and rise up again.”
“We Need to Strengthen Solidarity”
Curator Feyyaz Yaman, founder of Karşı Sanat, remarked:
“For the first time in a very long while, Beyoğlu Municipality has shifted from one political mindset to another. Mayor İnan deserves praise for that. Let’s identify our needs, yes—but more importantly, we need to produce something collectively. That is the power of political solidarity. We are each a force, an energy, a history. So let’s talk about how to combine them, how to weave a network, and how to adapt to a new language of politics. Because we need to strengthen solidarity in this sense.”
Eser Çamurdan, founding president of the Turkish Theater Foundation, highlighted the lack of a theater museum in Turkey:
“This country has a rich theatrical heritage, but no theater museum. Especially now, as we lose figures like Genco Erkal, Gülriz Sururi, and others who shaped the golden age of Turkish theater, we’re also losing an entire cultural legacy. Families don’t know what to do with the archives entrusted to them. This is a serious issue.”
