Red alert in Bodrum: 175,000 vehicles entered in 3 days, security level raised to maximum

Eid al-Adha is one day away, and holidaymakers have begun to flock to Bodrum. Due to thousands of citizens setting off to take advantage of the holiday, kilometers-long vehicle queues have formed in Bodrum.

Holidaymakers coming from different cities have preferred tourist regions such as Marmaris, Fethiye, Ula, and Akyaka, with Bodrum at the forefront. Many holidaymakers arriving in Bodrum by road have brought traffic to a standstill.

Citizens who were able to cover the 5-kilometer road in 55 minutes later enjoyed the sea and the sun to the fullest.

HIGH-LEVEL SECURITY MEASURES TAKEN

Due to the summer vacation and the 9-day holiday coinciding, high-level security measures have begun to be implemented in Bodrum. Additional personnel have been reinforced to the District Gendarmerie Command and the Bodrum District Police Department by the Bodrum District Governorate.

Due to Eid al-Adha, the Bodrum Municipality has also canceled the leave of field staff. Municipal police teams have also started working on a 24-hour basis to ensure peace and security on the beaches, as well as for food inspections and cleaning services.

Gendarmerie and police teams are conducting traffic checks and identity controls at the entrances and exits of the district. Inspections have also begun to be carried out 24 hours a day at the entrances to neighborhoods such as Yalıkavak, Türkbükü, and Ortakent.

All law enforcement officers are patrolling, especially along the coastline. Law enforcement forces will be on duty 24 hours a day to prevent any negative incidents in the district throughout the 9 days.

RECORD NUMBER OF VEHICLES ENTERED

Bodrum District Governor Mustafa Çit stated that 150,000 vehicles had entered in 3 days, saying, "We have taken a series of measures within the scope of the holiday. We have taken a series of measures with our police, gendarmerie, coast guard, and municipal police. In this context, we will continue this service with a total of 86 vehicles and 733 personnel. I hope we will have a trouble-free holiday period.

Approximately 70,000 vehicles enter every day. It is expected that between 200,000 and 250,000 vehicles will enter during the holiday period. The population is expected to exceed 1 million. Occupancy rates in our hotels are at a good level. Furthermore, lahmacun prices in Bodrum start from 140 liras. Prices in most parts of Bodrum are at reasonable levels," he said.

POPULATION EXCEEDED 1 MILLION

Azka Hotel Chairman of the Board, tourism professional Bülent Kaya, stated that there is an intense influx of domestic tourists, saying, "The density started from the eve of the holiday. Bodrum will experience an intense 9 days throughout the holiday. I estimate that all hotels have reached 100 percent occupancy rates. Bodrum's winter population was around 400,000. With the 9-day holiday, the population has exceeded 1 million. We foresee that this season will go very well," he expressed.

Intercity bus driver Tahsin Yılmaz, who came to Bodrum from Diyarbakır, said, "The Adana-Pozantı road is very busy, the Aydın-Söke direction was very busy. The density increased even more in Milas. Normally, our departure time has arrived. We came from Milas to Güvercinlik in 57 minutes. Normally, we come from Milas to Bodrum in 45 minutes. We still have 40 minutes of road left," he said.

On the other hand, it was learned that buses and airlines have added extra services. It was reported that intercity bus companies have tripled their extra services, and domestic flight companies have added 50 extra flights.

News Source: İHA