Students, alumni, artists, and lawmakers have united in protest against the demolition of the MSGSÜ Prof. Sami Şekeroğlu Cinema-TV Center. Serving Turkish cinema for over half a century through education, production, and archiving, the center has been emphasized as more than just a building—it is the living memory of the nation’s cinematic history.
Reactions to the demolition plans for the MSGSÜ Prof. Sami Şekeroğlu Cinema-TV Center are mounting. Students, alumni, artists, unions, and members of parliament gathered in front of the center in Balmumcu to underline the institution’s vital significance for Turkish cinema. In their statement, they highlighted that the center, which has served the country for more than fifty years in film education, production, and archiving, is not merely a building but a repository of Turkey’s cinematic memory. Participants declared, “We will protect this legacy; we will not allow its destruction,” condemning the illegal demolition efforts and calling for the restoration of the center for future generations. The full statement reads as follows:
More Than Just a Building
Founded as Turkey’s first cinema school, the MSGSÜ Prof. Sami Şekeroğlu Cinema-TV Center has directed the nation’s cinematic history for over fifty years through its education, production, and archiving activities. Today, it faces an unlawful threat of demolition. Established under the guidance of Prof. Sami Şekeroğlu, the center is not merely a structure; it is a comprehensive architectural design dedicated to cinema, featuring film laboratories, screening rooms, archives, and classrooms.
The Turkish Film Archive housed within the building has preserved the past while enabling the production of the future as an indispensable component of formal and informal education. Legendary filmmakers such as Metin Erksan, Lütfi Ö. Akad, İlhan Arakon, Nedim Otyam, Memduh Ün, Duygu Sağıroğlu, and Feyzi Tuna taught multiple generations of cinema professionals within the same building.
Demolition “For Scrap”
Since 2019, systematic interventions have gradually weakened the building’s holistic nature. First, unauthorized appointments undermined the institution’s functions; next, the building was vacated, dispersing educational and production resources. The current step aims at the demolition of the center, reducing a publicly valuable educational and artistic institution to a commercial plot and scrap.
While legal processes regarding the demolition continue, the university administration opened a tender for “demolition in exchange for scrap,” and the awarded company has started demolition activities illegally and without permits. This attempt clearly demonstrates the intent to destroy a structure that could otherwise be preserved under contemporary and scientific principles. Half a century of scientific and artistic heritage is being irreversibly lost, and students’ rights to education and creative production are being violated.
Our Demands
We, the students, alumni, and members of MSGSÜ Cinema-TV:
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Demand the preservation and restoration of this institution for future generations, rather than its destruction.
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Call for the protection of students’ rights to education, production, and space.
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Insist that the Turkish Film Archive, the memory of national cinema, remains alive in its current location.
We warn: the demolition must stop immediately; otherwise, it will be recorded as a shameful act in artistic, cultural, and social history. We, the students, members, and alumni of MSGSÜ Cinema-TV, will defend this legacy and will not allow the center’s destruction. We call on the public, media, and authorities to stand in solidarity against this demolition. This fight is for today’s and tomorrow’s filmmakers alike, and we will continue on all fronts.
The MSGSÜ Prof. Sami Şekeroğlu Cinema-TV Center cannot be demolished.
