Hotel permit granted for forest area where citizens are barred from entry: Opened to development and rent-seeking

The Kaş Environment and Culture Association has reacted to the regulation that allows forest lands to be opened to development and rent-seeking.

In a statement made by the association, it was said, "News regarding the General Directorate of Forestry leasing forest lands across the country for 20 years under the name of 'Forest Park' has sparked debate in the public eye in recent days.

Antalya, which ranks first in our country in terms of forest assets, is also among the provinces heavily affected by these leases," the statement said.

LEASED TO A PRIVATE COMPANY

According to the report in Birgün, the statement emphasized that more than 20 thousand square meters of forest land located in the Düdenardı locality of Kaş's Bezirgan neighborhood was leased to a private company for 20 years through a tender held on September 5, 2024, and included the following expressions:

"Despite 53 objection petitions submitted by citizens living in Bezirgan and Kalkan, the relevant Administration did not take a step back on this issue, rejected the objections, and leased the publicly owned forest land as a non-accommodation forest park.

While the concerns of our local people continue regarding the lease that drew reaction in Kaş's Bezirgan neighborhood, it has been announced that another forest park tender will be held in our Pınarbaşı neighborhood.

In the announcement made by the General Directorate of Forestry, it was stated that 20 thousand 400 square meters of forest land adjacent to the Pınarbaşı neighborhood settlement will be leased to private businesses for 20 years through a tender to be held at the Kaş Forest Management Directorate on October 18, 2024.

According to the information provided in the tender file, the desire to lease the forest area in Pınarbaşı, where even the local people are not allowed to enter during the summer months due to fire risk, as an 'accommodation forest park' reveals the contradictory approach of the Administration. This situation means mounting a hotel with a capacity of approximately 100-150 people onto forest land under the name of a 'forest park,' while also bypassing the zoning law."

"WE WILL TAKE IT TO THE JUDICIARY!"

In the statement where the association also announced that it would take the leasing tender regarding Bezirgan to the judiciary, it included the following expressions: "We announce to the public that we will also initiate a legal struggle against the forest plunder in Pınarbaşı.

The armed attack that resulted in the death of a citizen named Reşit Kibar in our Artvin province last September occurred during an attempt to open vast forest lands in the Cankurtaran region to development under the name of 'Forest Park'.

The murder in Artvin shows what kind of savage rent-seeking attack our people, who are trying to defend their forests, waters, trees, and the geography they live on, are facing."