Road permit granted for Limanağzı Bay: Call for protest issued

In the Kaş district of Antalya, a road permit has been granted for Limanağzı Bay. The permit, which covers approximately 4,000 m² of forest land in the bay—an area currently inaccessible by land and reachable only by boat—belongs to a company owned by former Minister of Culture and Tourism Erkan Mumcu. This permit is drawing attention as a significant development expected to impact the natural structure of the region.

According to the report by Yusuf Yavuz, the other approximately 17,000 m² of land for which land access is requested consists of olive groves.

Limanağzı Bay is located within the Kaş-Kekova Special Environmental Protection Area and is accessible only by boat. The bay serves as a natural harbor, providing shelter for heavy-tonnage vessels, especially during stormy weather. A small number of businesses that have been under protection for years operate on the shore. However, there have been years of attempts to open this natural paradise to development. The area, which has occasionally seen illegal construction, also contains archaeological sites along with traces of ancient settlements.

TURKEY'S FIRST CULTURAL ROUTE PASSES THROUGH LIMANAĞZI

Limanağzı also holds great importance as a region through which the Lycian Way, Turkey's first cultural route, passes. It is also protected as a 3rd-degree natural site. Located within the borders of the Bayındır neighborhood of Kaş, this area was included in the 1/25,000 scale Master Development Plan prepared by the Ministry of Environment and Urbanization in 2019. However, the decision in the plan to designate some lands as 'eco-tourism' areas was met with backlash from environmentalists and citizens in the region.

MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT AND URBANIZATION'S PLAN ANNULLED

Many individuals aiming to protect the region sought legal recourse, arguing that the natural structure of the Limanağzı area would be destroyed. In a lawsuit filed by 27 citizens, the Antalya 2nd Administrative Court annulled the plan prepared by the Ministry of Environment and Urbanization. In its ruling, the court noted that Limanağzı is an undeveloped area far from Kaş's existing residential zones, and pointed out that such plans are incompatible with urban planning principles. Furthermore, the court took into account the area's status as a 3rd-degree natural site, the presence of archaeological sites, and its proximity to the Kaş-Kekova Special Environmental Protection Area.

DEVELOPMENT ATTEMPTS IN THE REGION CONTINUE

However, despite these legal obstacles, development attempts in the Limanağzı region continue. The road permit obtained by the company owned by former Minister Erkan Mumcu could pave the way for new steps that would endanger the natural structure of the region. Such regulations, intended to preserve the tourism appeal of the area, are being met with reactions from both environmentalists and the local public. A call for a protest has been issued for the weekend against the controversial road permit.

News Source: 12punto