Statue of Sultan Mehmed II to be erected in Istanbul's Golden Horn

A statue of 16th century Ottoman Sultan Mehmed II (Mehmed the Conqueror) will be erected in Istanbul's Golden Horn, Istanbul Mayor Kadir Topbaş announced on April 1. 

"We will erect a statue showing Sultan Mehmed II on a horse in the sea in the Golden Horn. Tourists passing from here will be able to see his statue and take a photo of it," Topbaş said during a ceremony in Istanbul's Kasımpaşa district with the participation of Beyoğlu Mayor Ahmet Misbah Demircan, commenting on upcoming projects regarding the Golden Horn. 

"We removed the previous Galata Bridge and we are building an ecological bridge, which people will be able to cross [to Feshane] between meadows and roses. Then from in front of Feshane they will be able to walk to two islands in the Golden Horn, crossing using the 'Leonardo Bridge.' Leonardo da Vinci made a sketch during the era of Süleyman the Magnificent, which we have developed and will build," he added. 

Saying investments worth 2.6 billion Turkish Liras had been made for Beyoğlu, Topbaş also noted that a 10 meter-wide "floating road" will be constructed on the sea between Karaköy and Koç Museum, which will feature bicycle and pedestrian roads. 

The Istanbul mayor also praised President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan for his efforts regarding the cleaning of the Golden Horn. 

"Our president cleaned up the Golden Horn, in which fish used to be killed due to dirt. We brought fresh water to the Golden Horn by opening a tunnel from the Bosphorus Strait and Baltalimanı. A total of 265,000 cubic meters of clean water now enter the Golden Horn every day. Now, we will also take the Unkapanı Bridge underwater in order to enhance the traffic flow, and we are in the tender stage for this project," he said.