The Turkish government has appealed to the Maltese authorities not to allow the development of a multi-storey garage complex right next to the Turkish Cemetery in Marsa.

Speaking to The Malta Independent, Turkish ambassador Kerem Ahmet Kiratli said that the proposed development will be incompatible with good urban design and will have a detrimental impact on the 19th century architectural gem designed by Emanuele Luigi Galizia.

This is the second time that an application for an industrial garage complex has been filed, the first one having been submitted in 2019. In 2016, the same applicant, Mark Cassar, had submitted an application for the construction of a fuel station in the same area.

Mr Kiratli said the Turkish Embassy is gravely concerned on the said development.  “After the first two attempts to build a fuel station in 2016 and an industrial complex in 2019 were averted with Turkish and Maltese joint efforts, the Planning Authority has now been forwarded with a new application to consider a modified plan for this construction.”

The “Ottoman Muslim Cemetery” or, as commonly known, the “Turkish Cemetery”, is not only a masterpiece of Emanuele Luigi Galizia, but also a majestic monument of our common historical and cultural heritage as well as one of Malta’s most-visited touristic destinations as being “Malta’s Taj Mahal,” the ambassador said.

“It is not only the final resting place of Turkish martyrs as well as Muslim nationals of other countries (British, French, Libyan, Egyptian, Tunisian, Algerian, Moroccan, Somalian, Indian, Indonesian) immortalized in a foreign land of gracious hospitality, tolerance and harmony, but also a symbol of eternal friendship between Turkey and Malta to be proudly cherished for future generations. The outstanding and unusual architectural value and historical interest of the Turkish Cemetery was recognized by the Planning Authority which has listed this heritage building as Grade 1 and is protected under the Antiquities (protection) Act and listed in the National Protective Inventory.”

Building an industrial complex on the land adjunct to the Cemetery will no doubt have enormous detrimental impact on this architectural gem, he said.

“The construction of a massive block next to a 19th century architecture will completely be incompatible with good urban design. It will overshadow the prominence and unique glory of the Cemetery and destroy the visual integrity of the area. Moreover, it will highly risk a physical damage, serious if not also colossal and hard if not impossible to repair, on and to the Cemetery both during and after the construction.”

The ambassador said that one of the small minarets of the Cemetery got damaged even before the realization of such a project, as shown in photos taken a few days ago.

“This demonstrates how a Grade 1 historical heritage building can be such vulnerable and thus its preservation and protection with its environs requires a dedicated and persistent concerted effort that it deserves. Besides the high possibility and probability of damages the Cemetery would get, we also believe that it will be a betrayal to master Galizia’s exceptional legacy.”

Mr Kiratli said that, while the embassy has already raised the issue at diplomatic level and has been searching ways to prevent such an undesirable and irreversible outcome, “we are assured that the same views and concerns are shared by the Maltese authorities, Maltese people, NGOs and media.”

“Encouraged by the resolute stance and vision of the Government of Malta ‘to approach with greater vigilance to development proposals nearby scheduled sites’, as announced back in May 2020 by Honourable Minister for the Environment, Climate Change and Planning Dr Aaron Farrugia, we continue to rely on Malta’s support in order for this proposal not to be permitted and heritage value of the site with surroundings be safeguarded and forever preserved as I believe we all owe it to upcoming generations.”

 

FAA calls for investigation

Meanwhile, environmental NGO Flimkien ghal Ambent Ahjar has strongly condemned the application, which is recommended for approval. The application goes up before the PA board on 26 January.

FAA said it is taken aback to note that in recommending approval of this application, the Planning Authority Case Officer makes no reference to the PA's Circular 3/20 on 'Assessing and Determining Development Applications in the Setting of Scheduled Buildings and Monuments.'

The same circular gives the guidance: "for each scheduled property, especially Grade 1 buildings, the context/setting is deemed to be highly significant, which includes both the building and its surroundings" and stipulates that "Character Appraisal of the context is to be taken into consideration which should identify and describe those elements that create local character and other important features and constraints, including streetscape, scale, height, existing open spaces, natural topography, significant views of skylines, the scheduled buildings including backdrops, and important local views, prospects and panoramas of the setting in which the proposal is located."

Indeed, FAA said, this application is shown to be within the buffer zone of the Grade 1 cemetery, which is normally taken to be a protected radius of 50m whereas this building abuts it directly. 

FAA called on the Chairman of the Planning Authority to carry out an official investigation as to why these regulations were not implemented in the case of such an important monument in terms of both our history and Malta's architectural heritage, especially given that the same regulations have been imposed on much lesser cases. “Is the law not the same for everyone?”

 

Since this PA regulation is also specifically directed at architects, FAA has also called for disciplinary measures to be taken against this architect who is exchanging ethics for greed, betraying Malta's architectural heritage and bringing down the prestige of his profession.