Ministry persists with Göcek marina project! Tender to be held on February 3
The Ministry of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change has issued an announcement for the marina it intends to build in Ayten Bay, located in Göcek, Fethiye district of Muğla. A tender via the bargaining procedure will be held on February 3 for the construction of the marina in the area, which is a special environmental protection zone. Public outcry is growing rapidly.
12punto
Hazal Güven - 12punto.com.tr
The Ministry of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change has stepped on the gas for a new act of environmental destruction through the Muğla Environmental Foundation (MUÇEV). Despite all objections, a tender announcement has been made for the marina project planned for Ayten Bay in Göcek, Fethiye, Muğla. Accordingly, a tender will be held on February 3, 2025, via the bargaining procedure to operate the area in question as a marina for a period of 10 years.
The announcement, published on the official website of the Ministry of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change's General Directorate for the Protection of Natural Assets on January 22, also included the protection status of Ayten Bay. The announcement stated that the area is "within the Fethiye-Göcek Special Environmental Protection Zone and a 1st Degree Natural Protected Area."
A petition was submitted by MUÇEV to the Ministry of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change for the construction of a yacht mooring and docking pier in Ayten Bay.
PRIVATIZED THROUGH MUÇEV!
A significant portion of Ayten Bay had been leased to Ege Marina Turizm Anonim Şirketi for 33 years through the Muğla Environmental Foundation (MUÇEV). Moreover, this decision was made without anyone's knowledge and without being subject to the State Tender Law. MUÇEV having a say in coasts and bays in this manner is also considered unlawful in many respects.
A DAGGER TO THE PROTECTED AREA!
According to information in the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) file, it was planned to moor 46 yachts at the marina intended to be built on a 14,657-square-meter area. The project area was located within the Fethiye-Göcek Special Environmental Protection Zone and also a third-degree protected area.
BIODIVERSITY UNDER THREAT
Experts and local residents argue that the marina project planned for Göcek, one of the world's important tourism centers, will destroy biodiversity. The area in question is home to numerous trees, endemic plant species, and living organisms. Moreover, it will pave the way for construction in the region, which is a natural protected area.
THE MINISTRY'S GÖCEK INSISTENCE: SECOND EIA PROCESS INITIATED
The Ministry of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change first canceled the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) process because MUÇEV could not complete the necessary documents. After the ministry canceled MUÇEV's EIA process, this time the company leasing the bay applied to the ministry, and a second EIA process was initiated for the project that threatens Göcek in many ways.
WHAT IS THIS MUÇEV?
Established in 2014, the Muğla Environmental Foundation (MUÇEV) began its operations in partnership with the Ministry of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change, the Turkish Environmental Protection Foundation, and the Muğla Service Foundation affiliated with the Muğla Governorship. It was noted that many AKP bureaucrats, former district governors, and governors were on the board of directors of MUÇEV, which was founded with a capital of 20,000 TL. Although it is in the foundation category, today many coasts, beaches, and forest areas are given to MUÇEV without a tender.