A SEASIDE VIEW : Municipality against tourist manipulation
Güncelleme Tarihi:
by Sedat Kirt
Oluşturulma Tarihi: Mayıs 26, 2009 00:00
MARMARİS - The Marmaris Municipality has been trying to establish a new identity by putting an end to illegal trade and building in the city, which can sometimes fuel heated debate.
In his second term in office, Mayor Ali Acar continues to close unlicensed shops, hotels, and restaurants and demolish illegally built structures. He explains his aim as "rebuilding the city as a more proper, more green and more legal".
The chaotic and haphazard shape to tourist cities on the Aegean and Mediterranean coasts of Turkey is well known both by Turkish people and tourists alike. Like Spain, Italy and Greece have experienced in the past, Turkey has been suffering the same problems today, especially since the 80s. All urban planning experts agree to stop building and to recreate the "cultural identity" of the coastal cities.
However, Mayor Acar’s "fast" and "revolutionary" steps in this direction is the source of many a discussion in Marmaris, and recently municipal works are always in the headlines. Being elected for the second time with 50 percent of the vote has indeed proved the public support radical measures. The questionnaires have shown that the people of the city have preferred him once again for more open areas, for legal businesses and for a better quality of life.
There are two striking facts to the municipal rulings in Marmaris. The first is the lack of the central government’s support. This can be assumed normal since Marmaris Municipality is under a Republican People’s Party, or CHP, mayor’s ruling and there has been no financial, or administrative support so far for any projects by Ankara, although there have been several demands and talks even directly to Prime Minister Erdoğan. But, the more dramatic lack of the state during the municipal works is the police support, which leaves the public workers alone against angry tradesmen and sometimes causes big disputes. This attitude of the representatives of the state in the city has impelled the mayor to give, a few days ago, his reaction. "Unfortunately, there is no state anymore in Marmaris in terms of administration and law. People can stand against municipal works unlawfully and attack our workers. We cannot get any support from the police department or the governorship."
There was more than one reason for these "strong" words. In one case, the staff of a restaurant, which was prohibited from placing tables and chairs on the street, attacked municipal workers with knives, but luckily it ended without casualty. In another case, support was asked of the police in a bar closure case but the assistance never came and municipal teams were left to go it alone, although the police normally assist in similar situations. And the latest dispute was during work to prepare a park in front of a fast-food restaurant. When the owner of the restaurant objected to a garden in front of his restaurant, municipal authorities asked police support to continue the work. Although the police staff in a short time, soon after they were called back to the office and left the municipal workers alone against the staff of the restaurant, who are ready to jump on the working machines.
Yes, these are interesting factors working against the Marmaris Municipality’s work. Another interesting, but may better called "tragic" influence is the "tourist factor" preventing upgrades. In most of the disputes between the Municipality and the shops, restaurants, or any other establishment, the tourist becomes a part of the problem. Unfortunately, the owner and the staff of these illegal establishments use their foreign customers to stand against the municipal staff or their machines. How fair or unfair the municipal works are, there is such a crazy logic at the moment in Marmaris and no one, including the police, is trying to stop the manipulation of the tourists.
In a legal structural application at Uzunyalı Beach, the Municipality was sent hundreds of letters by British tourists, who were all calling on the mayor "to stop" the works on the beach.
And more recently, female British tourists were invited by the staff of the restaurant to stop the work machines. They were sitting on them, seemingly proud of what they were doing, but did not know what kind of game it was. Yes, they stopped the public workers from making a nice flower garden in front of the restaurant where they used to eat, because the owner of the restaurant wanted to put more tables there.
The chaotic and haphazard shape to tourist cities on the Aegean and Mediterranean coasts of Turkey is well known both by Turkish people and tourists alike. Like Spain, Italy and Greece have experienced in the past, Turkey has been suffering the same problems today, especially since the 80s. All urban planning experts agree to stop building and to recreate the "cultural identity" of the coastal cities.
However, Mayor Acar’s "fast" and "revolutionary" steps in this direction is the source of many a discussion in Marmaris, and recently municipal works are always in the headlines. Being elected for the second time with 50 percent of the vote has indeed proved the public support radical measures. The questionnaires have shown that the people of the city have preferred him once again for more open areas, for legal businesses and for a better quality of life.
There are two striking facts to the municipal rulings in Marmaris. The first is the lack of the central government’s support. This can be assumed normal since Marmaris Municipality is under a Republican People’s Party, or CHP, mayor’s ruling and there has been no financial, or administrative support so far for any projects by Ankara, although there have been several demands and talks even directly to Prime Minister Erdoğan. But, the more dramatic lack of the state during the municipal works is the police support, which leaves the public workers alone against angry tradesmen and sometimes causes big disputes. This attitude of the representatives of the state in the city has impelled the mayor to give, a few days ago, his reaction. "Unfortunately, there is no state anymore in Marmaris in terms of administration and law. People can stand against municipal works unlawfully and attack our workers. We cannot get any support from the police department or the governorship."
There was more than one reason for these "strong" words. In one case, the staff of a restaurant, which was prohibited from placing tables and chairs on the street, attacked municipal workers with knives, but luckily it ended without casualty. In another case, support was asked of the police in a bar closure case but the assistance never came and municipal teams were left to go it alone, although the police normally assist in similar situations. And the latest dispute was during work to prepare a park in front of a fast-food restaurant. When the owner of the restaurant objected to a garden in front of his restaurant, municipal authorities asked police support to continue the work. Although the police staff in a short time, soon after they were called back to the office and left the municipal workers alone against the staff of the restaurant, who are ready to jump on the working machines.
Yes, these are interesting factors working against the Marmaris Municipality’s work. Another interesting, but may better called "tragic" influence is the "tourist factor" preventing upgrades. In most of the disputes between the Municipality and the shops, restaurants, or any other establishment, the tourist becomes a part of the problem. Unfortunately, the owner and the staff of these illegal establishments use their foreign customers to stand against the municipal staff or their machines. How fair or unfair the municipal works are, there is such a crazy logic at the moment in Marmaris and no one, including the police, is trying to stop the manipulation of the tourists.
In a legal structural application at Uzunyalı Beach, the Municipality was sent hundreds of letters by British tourists, who were all calling on the mayor "to stop" the works on the beach.
And more recently, female British tourists were invited by the staff of the restaurant to stop the work machines. They were sitting on them, seemingly proud of what they were doing, but did not know what kind of game it was. Yes, they stopped the public workers from making a nice flower garden in front of the restaurant where they used to eat, because the owner of the restaurant wanted to put more tables there.