Evaluation of the Conservation Process in Historic Areas of Istanbul in the Context of Rights

Abstract

As a result of the increasing importance, human rights have started to be included in different fields of study such as sociology, economics and planning. During the development process of the cultural heritage concept, the issue of rights has started to be correlated with cultural heritage. This event has brought about an alteration in the theory and practice of cultural heritage. It has begun to be seen that sharing the common heritage of mankind is a human right and the idea that the conservation process should contribute to the realization of human rights. The tendency to ensure the conservation of cultural heritage and the realization of human rights simultaneously has also imposed alterations in the existing cultural heritage mentality. It has been formulated that a conservation process which protects and develops rights is the way of providing qualified and adequate conservation of cultural heritage. Hence, it can be said that a conservation system not based on rights is the main reason for insufficient conservation of cultural heritage. The subject of this research is to reveal the relationship between insufficiencies and negativities regarding cultural heritage and the state of human rights in the conservation process of Historic Areas of Istanbul. The aim is to demonstrate that the insufficiencies about the conservation are caused by the structure that restricts the heritage rights of stakeholders from exercising their rights. The present study is a case study research which is one of the qualitative methods. It is based on the examination of the relationship between the conservation process and rights, using indicators derived from the theoretical research. In this qualitative methodology, in-depth interviews were held with stakeholders. Seven main stakeholder groups have been identified in the conservation process in Historic Areas of Istanbul. The stakeholder groups are local people, central government, local government, international conservation organizations, professional organizations and associations, academicians and investors. Within the research scope, in-depth interviews were held with equal numbers of representatives from each of these stakeholder groups and their opinions were received. The data collected in these interviews were used in analyzing the conservation process in Historical Areas of Istanbul in the context of rights. The research explains the relationship between the dimensions of cultural heritage and the rights and analyses the conservation process in Historic Areas of Istanbul in the context of this relationship. The scope of the research has been formed on this axis. The research consists of two main parts. In the first part, the relationship between cultural heritage and human rights is explained, and the criteria that a rights-based conservation system should have, are determined. The second part of the research includes a field study. The criteria determined in the first part were used in the second part as indicators to analyze the conservation process in Historic Areas of Istanbul. In the first part of the study, the criteria that a rights-based conservation system should have in physical, economic, social, cultural, political and legal dimensions of cultural heritage were determined as 30 indicators in total. When the conservation process in Historical Areas of Istanbul examined in the context of these indicators, it has been revealed that the existing conservation system is not compatible with the characteristics of a system in which rights are regarded, protected and developed. It has been observed that the conservation process in Historic Areas of Istanbul is discordant with a rights-based approach in all the dimensions of cultural heritage. Also, the problems and deficiencies often faced in the conservation process were identified. Additionally, it has been determined that the lack of a conservation and management system based on rights have simply constituted the primary reason for these deficiencies. As a result of the research, it has been revealed that the conservation process is insufficient in terms of realizing the rights of stakeholders, and these insufficiencie reduces the success of programmed conservation. Finally, it should be expressed that this negative result is related to stakeholder preferences.