Allegation that 'Minister Ersoy allocated forest land to his company' taken to court: Criminal complaint against AKP's Ersoy and Kurum

The People's Liberation Party (HKP) has taken to the judiciary allegations that forest lands in the Adayalı area of Bodrum, Muğla, were converted into tourism land and allocated to the company of Minister of Culture and Tourism Mehmet Nuri Ersoy.

The HKP has filed a criminal complaint against Minister Ersoy, Minister of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change Murat Kurum, and relevant public officials.

İYİ Party Balıkesir MP Turhan Çömez alleged that Minister of Culture and Tourism Mehmet Nuri Ersoy allocated a forest plot belonging to the Ministry of Tourism to his own company for the construction of a hotel. Çömez claimed that despite the lack of a zoning report for the bay in question in Bodrum, an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) report was obtained, and the Muğla Metropolitan Municipality was burdened with debt for infrastructure works.

Following these allegations, HKP lawyers filed a criminal complaint with the Bodrum Chief Public Prosecutor's Office against Minister of Culture and Tourism Mehmet Nuri Ersoy, Deputy Ministers of Culture and Tourism, Minister of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change Murat Kurum, Deputy Ministers of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change, General Manager of EIA Permit and Inspection Eyyüp Karahan, as well as Deputy General Managers and Department Heads of the EIA Permit and Inspection Directorate.

The petition alleges that the individuals named committed the crimes of "qualified fraud," "extortion," "misconduct in office," "failure of a public official to report a crime," "violation of the Constitution," and "violation of Article 169 of the Constitution."

"SOMEHOW, HE MANAGES TO GET AN EIA REPORT"

Making a statement regarding the criminal complaint, Çolak said:

“The AKP crowd has appeared before us this time with a handout in Bodrum's Adalıyalı Bay. According to the information provided by MP Turhan Çömez, the 95 thousand square meter forest land in this bay belongs to the Ministry of Culture and Tourism. Minister Mehmet Nuri Ersoy is having this land allocated to his own company to build a hotel.

And despite the lack of a zoning report for this bay, he somehow manages to get an EIA report. Furthermore, the Muğla Metropolitan Municipality is being burdened with debt to carry out the infrastructure operations. Again, according to Turhan Çömez's claim, it is said that 50 thousand giant pine trees in this place, which is one of the corners of paradise, will be cut down to build a road for the hotel. All of these are crimes according to the regulations stipulated in the Turkish Penal Code and Article 169 of the Constitution.

The HKP is a party that respects nature, the environment, history, animals, and plants, and fights for their development and strengthening.

We have filed a criminal complaint against Mehmet Nuri Ersoy, Murat Kurum, and other bureaucrats. These types of criminal complaints we file stem entirely from our love for our homeland and our people.

It stems from our party's historical responsibility to protect the lands of the homeland, its beautiful areas, bays, and coasts. We will carry out every kind of struggle to the end.”