A dagger to the Turgutreis coast! Protest held against shopping mall and marina claims

As reactions grow against the Turgutreis Coast Guard Port, which began construction three weeks ago in the Bodrum district of Muğla, citizens gathered in front of the construction site to demand an immediate halt to the sea reclamation and construction work.

According to the report by Yaşar Anter from Anterhaber, Turgutreis Platform spokesperson Attorney Ziya Levent Doğuç stated in his remarks: "It is impossible for such a giant port to be intended for just 4-5 Coast Guard boats. There is a scent of rent-seeking here; we are hearing rumors that they are building this as a marina and shopping mall project and will hand it over to the 'gang of five' that includes Cengiz and Limak. We have initiated all kinds of legal proceedings to stop the port construction and prevent the public beach from being sacrificed for profit," he said.

The TİP (Workers' Party of Turkey) Bodrum District Organization held a protest and press statement in front of the 300-meter-long and 140-meter-wide coast guard port, which began construction three weeks ago by the Coast Guard Command in the Bahçelievler area of the Turgutreis neighborhood in Bodrum, Muğla. Local residents, the Turgutreis Platform, and lawyers also supported the protest.

During the protest and press statement, it was observed that trucks and construction machinery were not in operation.

Speaking during the protest and press statement, where the Gendarmerie took extensive security measures, Turgutreis Platform spokesperson and Muğla Bar Association lawyer Ziya Levent Doğuç used the following expressions:

"I also live in this region; for three weeks now, the roads have been ruined, and subsidence on the beach and cracks in houses have begun to appear. Life on land and at sea has turned into a nightmare. Furthermore, there is no need for such a large port for the 3-4 small coast guard boats at the Turgutreis port. In the past, it was said that a small station would be built. They built a giant building. That wasn't enough; they are filling in the sea, and the public beach is disappearing. We have received rumors that a construction of this size is designed not as a port but as a marina and shopping mall project, and that it will be handed over to Limak and Cengiz, who are part of the 'gang of five.' The public beaches around the port will also be expropriated and included in the project. There is definitely a strong scent of rent-seeking. Because the construction started three weeks ago, and there is neither a sign nor any information about the construction. If you were to build a tiny house, you would show the public all the permit information. Who is building this project? We are never against our state or our soldiers becoming stronger or building new facilities; we are against the location and the intention behind it."

10-year-old 3rd-grade student Aslışah Şentürk, who attended the press statement with her family, said in her speech: "We had a swimming area here, we used to swim in the sea, now our swimming area is gone, the sea is finished, the fish are gone, and we can't even go out on the street. What are we going to do now? Where are we supposed to swim and where are we supposed to play now?"

Those who participated in the protest and press statement ended the event with slogans of "Apply the Law" and "We Will Win by Uniting" along with applause.