No problems occurred during the World Social Media Day event, which was organized by the Institute of Creative Minds.World Social Media Day was celebrated in the square around Istanbul’s historic Galata Tower on June 30 as the tower became a large screen on which social media users debated Turkey’s nuclear energy plans. The activity also broke a recent ban on outdoor alcohol consumption, which has sparked a fierce debate, by permission of Beyoğlu Municipality and the Istanbul Police.
The municipality had removed the bench seating around the tower and surrounded the area with lines of tape in an attempt to keep people from gathering around the base of the tower. Locals had demanded the municipality ban alcohol consumption and noisy gatherings in the public area, saying these activities were causing a disturbance. No problems occurred during the World Social Media Day event, which was organized by the Institute of Creative Minds. The moderator of the event, journalist Ahu Özyurt, said Beyoğlu Municipality and the Istanbul police gave the group permission to host the event in the square. Participants in the Galata event joined an interactive debate online by sending tweets that were projected on the Galata Tower’s walls. (Erdem Güneş/Hurriyet Daily News)
