Mustafa Ruhi Şirin protests Trabzon Sanat Evi eviction

Poet and author Mustafa Ruhi Şirin has issued two open letters to Trabzon Governor Tahir Şahin and Trabzon Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Ahmet Metin Genç regarding the eviction of the Trabzon Sanat Evi.

Şirin criticizes the decision to transfer the former Governor's Mansion, which has hosted ten non-governmental organizations (NGOs) for approximately 19 years, to Trabzon University. He argues that the administration's discretionary power is not unlimited and that the eviction lacks concrete justification, as the space has been used in accordance with its original purpose. He warns that the decision contradicts the principle of 'public interest' by ignoring nearly two decades of widespread education and cultural activities.

In his letter to Governor Şahin, Şirin suggests that the Yavuz Sultan Selim Primary School could be allocated to Trabzon University instead, to prevent the NGOs from being left without a venue. In his letter to Mayor Genç, he calls for the continued support previously provided to the Trabzon Sanat Evi. A central theme in both letters is the plea to ensure that education and culture/arts do not come into conflict in Trabzon.