The touristic Istanbul sweetshop famous for its tasty profiteroles and a symbol to Istanbul’s Beyoglu, İnci Patisserie , closed. “ İnci Patisserie” ( Pastanesi)’s place is here, in Beyoğlu. Shall we lose the court case, we do not intend to open anywhere else,’ manager Musa Ateş, who has been working at the shop on İstiklal Avenue for 51 years, had told one month ago. According to National Turk News ,the fate of the historical shop, which has been operating at its central location in Istanbul’s Beyoğlu district for 67 years and retains its original atmosphere, was resting on a local court decision set to be made Feb. 9. But the Turkish high court of appeal approved the eviction rule for the patisserie and the sweetshop is being emptied as of now, among protests from owners, workers and a group of activists. Emekli Sandığı (Retirement Trust), the owner of the building where İnci Pastanesi is located, has decided to rent the entire building for 49 years to a single firm – identified by Ateş as Tamer İnşaat – which will also undertake work to restore the building. All shops renting space there have been asked to vacate the premises. Though the sweetshop managed to keep the court from executing a decision, İnci then received a second notification, this time saying the patisserie had ‘ caused losses to the trust, ‘ according to Ateş. “We have regularly paid the rent for 67 years; I do not see what losses the trust refers to,” he said. “We will make use of all our rights, but will in the end respect the court decision, whatever it is.”
