It is Aya Yorgi Bay's turn: 'The biggest heist after Kanal Istanbul'

The Ministry of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change has implemented a zoning change for the second time in the world-famous Aya Yorgi Bay, located in the Dalyan and Sakarya neighborhoods of Çeşme, İzmir. Following the first zoning change, which was canceled by the court as a result of lawsuits filed by the İzmir Metropolitan Municipality and the Çeşme Municipality, the ministry has this time converted 54 percent of the 372,000-square-meter area into residential and commercial zones. The remaining 22 percent has been set aside as green space.

Seven thousand square meters of the 33-decare area have been converted into a hotel zone.

TENDER TO BE HELD WHILE THE OBJECTION PROCESS IS ONGOING

The İzmir Branch of the Chamber of City Planners, the Çeşme Environment Association, and the Gücücek Bay Natural Life Protection Association have filed separate lawsuits for the cancellation of the plans, which have been suspended for the second time. According to the report by Yusuf Körükmez from Cumhuriyet, while the process is ongoing, Emlak Konut announced that it will hold a tender on February 27 for the sale of three parcels totaling approximately 48,000 square meters.

According to the plan, the company that wins the tender for the parcels, where 394 villa-type and two-story residences can be built, will handle the marketing and sales operations of the real estate and will give a share of the revenue to Emlak Konut. Speaking to Yusuf Körükmez, Çeşme Environment Association President Ahmet Güler stated that the tender method is interesting, saying, "'Revenue sharing in exchange for land sale' is a term we are hearing for the first time. They are not selling the land; they are selling the right to sell it. In other words, the state will not sell its own land itself, but will give power of attorney to others for the sale, and those who receive this authority will plunder the 47-decare land in Aya Yorgi, which is worth millions of dollars."

Güler said, "This is a piece of land worth approximately 250 million dollars. This is just the first part. The total area here is 405 decares. Its value is approaching 1.5 billion dollars. They will carry out the biggest heist after Kanal Istanbul in Çeşme. The purpose of zoning plans should be to bring the environment to a healthy structure. However, the way is being paved for construction, and Çeşme's touristic value is being endangered. These zoning plan changes are contrary to the protection of the natural environment."