Turkish Embassy Grilled over Railings

Irish Times - 28th February 2002

Dublin City Council has received a 'series of complaints' from Dublin 4 residents and An Taisce about the incongruous high railings, security gate and stone piers outside the Turkish Embassy at 11 Clyde Road in Ballsbridge, which is a protected structure.

The new spear top railings stand directly behind the lower original period ones and are similar in design but both sets of railings are interrupted by sandstone-clad piers, which flank a security gate and pedestrian entrance, all erected without planning permission.

Dublin City Council says it has inspected the situation and that a 'discussion is taking place' with the embassy. 'It would be unwise to predict what will happen at this point, ' says a spokeswoman.

The Turkish Ambassador, Gunalty Sibay, said that nine bomb threats to the embassy in the space of three months were behind the decision to fortify the exterior. There had also been a series of demonstrations in support of Turkish hunger strikers in front of the building.

"The Department of Foreign Affairs were informed of the new security system," says Mr Sibay. "We received a communication that we shouldn't remove the railings and gates. It is not our intention to remove them but to make them stronger. We removed them and fortified the existing cement foundation and then put them back in the same line as the used to stand. "

Mr Sibay said they had in fact "compromised" their security by putting up railings that were lower than some other embassies like that of the American and UK "which I think is admirable", said Mr Sibay. He said the stone pillars were necessary to hold the new structure in place and attract the eye because they are new.