Turkey sees clock tower boom

Clock tower projects planned to be built in city centers are booming in towns and cities across Turkey.

Municipality projects for the construction of clock towers have gained momentum over the last six months, with hundreds of municipalities across the country initiating tenders for clock towers of various shapes and sizes.

One of the most sophisticated clock tower projects in the new craze is to be built in the Çay?rova district of Kocaeli province. There, the municipality will purchase LED aluminum visuals with a star and the crescent design and a Tu?ra (Ottoman sultan's signature) for the construction of clock towers at crossroads across the town.

Some of the projects differ from classic clock towers. In the Karaköprü district of the southeastern ?anl?urfa province, the municipality wants to adorn the clock tower with two fountains, fed by city water. The Central Anatolian K?r?ehir Municipality has also issued a tender for the construction of the clock surrounding the historic underground bazaar's chimney in the city square. A firm won the tender with a bid of 90,000 Turkish Liras and the tower has recently been completed.

Other tenders have been issued for future clock tower projects, including in the Black Sea province of Düzce and the southern province of Osmaniye. The Antalya province's Manavgat Municipality has completed a monumental clock tower project tender for 214,000 liras, while the Mersin province's Anamur Municipality has completed a tender worth 141,000 liras, the Kozlu district of Zonguldak province has completed a 150,000-lira tender for an LED clocktower, and the Ayvac?k district of Çanakkale province has completed a tender worth 144,000 liras.

Some cites have decided to leave the decision to locals....