Endem TV Tower, Communications tower in Büyükçekmece, Turkey
Endem TV Tower is a concrete communications tower in Büyükçekmece, on the western edge of Istanbul, standing 257 meters tall. It broadcasts television and radio signals across the wider Istanbul metropolitan area.
The tower started operating in January 2002 as part of Turkey's effort to expand its broadcast infrastructure. It helped bring stronger television and radio coverage to the Istanbul region during those early years.
The rotating restaurant at around 154 meters once let diners see both the European and Asian shores of Istanbul at the same time. The restaurant is now closed, but the tower remains a reference point for people living in the western districts.
The tower is on the western outskirts of Istanbul, in the Büyükçekmece district, and is most easily reached by car from the city center. Public access inside the tower is generally not available, so most visitors see it from the outside.
In 2017, a helicopter hit the tower's antenna in dense fog, causing damage that led to structural reinforcement work. The accident is well known locally and has become part of how people in the area remember the tower.
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