The Turkish Riviera is a popular holiday destination. Now some bays and beaches have been privatized: What does this mean for vacationers?
The Turkish Riviera is considered by many to be a dream destination for a Mediterranean holiday. White sandy beaches, steep shores and luxurious resorts attract tourists every year who come here to soak up the sun. The communities of the Turkish Riviera profit from tourism – and pay attention to environmental protection on the Mediterranean coast. However, things could change now.
Private owners will manage sections of the coastline in the Gulf of Fethiye, according to the Turkish Ministry of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change. Four bays have already been sold. Nineteen more will follow. According to experts, the contracts are designed for ten years.
A piece of the Riviera for 800,000 euros
The reason for the sale of previously opened bays may be the neglected economic situation in Turkey. The inflation rate in March 2022 was 61.14 percent compared to the previous month.
The bays in the Gulf of Fethiye were bought for 12.5 million Turkish liras (about 800,000 euros) by an Ankara-based mining entrepreneur: Suleiman Belünmez. The businessman ran for the ruling AKP in 2007 and is said to be close to Turkish President Erdogan. Bölünmez is not doing well either: he was sentenced to four years in prison for fuel smuggling, and the house he built illegally was also demolished in December 2020.
Berths for the yachts of the super-rich are ready
Now the entrepreneur must take care of the banks. As his first official act, Bölünmez ordered heavy concrete slabs to be driven into the Mediterranean Sea, on which the yachts of the super-rich could anchor. Until now, yachtsmen and women have been able to anchor in the Gulf of Fethiye for free. In the future, anchoring will cost money. It is expected that it can be up to 150 euros. Journalist Fatih Portakal even blames the government: “You put an end to amateur sailing in Turkey.” This is because ordinary citizens who love to sail will probably no longer be able to afford to anchor here in the future.
However, not only sailors criticize the project. Residents of the Gulf of Fethiye also criticize the singling out of their bays. “There are many archaeological sites in the bays. No research has been done. The bays are a legacy that we will leave to future generations. For this reason, the bays cannot be rented out with the logic of discard. Our bays must be valued with long-term, environmentally sound, socially beneficial projects. And this is possible only with the participation of local authorities, NGOs and chambers,” said Suleiman Girgin, a representative of the Mugla local government.
Municipalities of the Turkish Riviera will follow the development of sustainable tourism
In recent years, municipalities along the Gulf coast have worked to ensure that yacht tourism, which causes real damage to the environment, is carried out in a reasonably sustainable manner. With the advent of new owners, everything can change. The chairman of the Göcek People’s Chamber, Egim Mukan, criticizes the allocation of bays. Because this requires a feasibility study, and it still does not exist.
President of the Fethiye Bay Municipality Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Osman Cirali, is also calling for the abolition of the bay, saying: “The bays should not be the responsibility of private investors, but of government agencies along with the local business community.”
If the Turkish government goes ahead with its sale plan, Fethiye Bay and other landmasses on the Turkish Riviera may soon be reserved only for the super-rich: Arab sheiks, foreign oligarchs and other rich people. Residents of settlements located on the coast of the bay, and tourists with a normal income will no longer be able to freely enjoy the beauty of the Fethiye Bay.