Backlash over hotel advertisement on Yassıada: 'Breathtaking view' phrase sparks controversy

The language used in the promotion of a hotel opened on Yassıada, where Prime Minister Adnan Menderes and two ministers were tried and sentenced to death following the May 27 coup, has drawn backlash. Journalist Deniz Zeyrek pointed out that the hotel's promotional material used the phrase  "Breathtaking view." 

Journalist Zeyrek drew attention to the promotional advertisement for the hotel built on the island where Menderes, Zorlu, and Polatkan were tried before being executed by hanging, which stated: "You will enjoy the breathtaking view of the Princes' Islands at the Birun Hotel, located on the Island of Democracy and Freedoms." 

Stating that the hotel has turned into a white elephant, Deniz Zeyrek wrote the following in his column titled "What if İmamoğlu had done it?":

'The plan did not match the reality'

"As you know, a 176-room (Katre Island) hotel, a 500-person congress center, a 7,700-square-meter museum, and a 1,200-person mosque were built on Yassıada, which hosted an event that is shameful in terms of Turkish history.

The Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Turkey (TOBB) covered the cost of all these projects, which amounted to 110 million dollars (4 billion 200 million liras at today's exchange rate).

According to the plan, a TOBB subsidiary was to operate the Katre Island Hotel for 29 years in exchange for this cost.

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However, things did not go as planned.

The facility in question turned into a dead investment.

Over three years, the island was visited by only 37,000 people, most of whom participated in trips organized by the Turkey Youth Foundation (TÜGVA), the Ministry of Youth and Sports, the Constitutional Court, the Maarif Foundation, the Presidency of Religious Affairs, and various governorates and municipalities.

As operating costs increased, the Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Türkiye (TOBB) began to view the island as a burden and sought to offload it.

The facilities, on which TOBB spent 4.2 billion Turkish liras in today's currency, were transferred to the Ministry of Culture and Tourism at the beginning of 2023.

Just 20 days after taking over, the Ministry leased the hotel to a company called Birun Ada Otelcilik.

The annual rent for the hotel, which was leased for 20 years, was set at 4.2 million Turkish liras.

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I suppose I do not need to mention that the company named Birun Ada Otelcilik is part of a very famous company that is very close to the government.

I checked travel agencies yesterday to make a reservation at Katre Ada Hotel. The hotel's promotional text read as follows:

'The sea is a seductive experience. We live life in harmony at Birun Hotel, the pearl of the magnificent Sea of Marmara.

Turn your gaze to the endless blue and fill yourself with the fresh, salty scent of the sea. Open your heart and soul to nature's symphony, the sounds of seagulls, and the rhythm of waves crashing against the rocks; become a part of the symphony. At Birun Ada Hotel, located on the Island of Democracy and Freedoms, you will enjoy the breathtaking view of Istanbul's silhouette and the Princes' Islands overlooking the Sea of Marmara.'

Meanwhile, an executive room facing the land was being sold for 37,000 liras for two days, while an executive room facing the sea was priced at 41,000 liras.

I am not sure if a private company can make a hotel soar that the Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Turkey (TOBB) could not operate and had to transfer due to losses.

My guess is that Katre Ada Hotel is still not a profitable business, and its new operator is likely not making large profits either."