A silent power in Didim
Güncelleme Tarihi:
by Hasan Bayrak
Oluşturulma Tarihi: Mart 25, 2009 00:00
DİDİM - For the past decade, many foreigners have come to live in the small Aegean town of Didim, and their interest in local politics is growing. More and more expatriates try to learn about political parties before the local elections
With the local election in Didim reaching its conclusion on Sunday, there is a growing "silent" majority as interested in who takes the mayoralty as the locals.
For the past decade, many foreigners have come to live in the small coastal town, but the steady flow of expats has turned into a flood in the past four years as mostly British people quit their stressful lives in the United Kingdom for something slightly calmer on the Aegean.
While they are largely bystanders in the battle for the Didim Municipal Assembly, it has not stopped them from learning about the local parties and what they will offer if they win Sunday.
Most foreign residents have been brought up in their adopted hometown with its present mayor, the kind and jovial-looking Mumin Kamacı, who is standing for another crack at power.
It has been under his stewardship of the last five years that the town’s infrastructure has improved remarkably and a number of eye-catching projects have bolstered tourism and life in the town.
Last year saw the opening of Didim’s international port and this year will see the completion of the multimillion-dollar marina, which will enhance the town’s image on the tourism front. There are also promises of a golf course and five-star hotels in the pipeline.
And Kamacı, running for the Republican People’s Party, or CHP, unveiled a series of future projects, including a sports and entertainment center, a city square and a large bar and shopping center during his next tenure.
Renovation plans
He also unveiled plans to establish a cultural center, renovate historical houses, and open the area for tourism, pedestrian roads and piers in Fevzipaşa Mahallesi. "We have six projects as the six arrows in the emblem of our party for the next five years," he said.
His main rival, dentist Hilmi Yıldırım, is no less passionate about providing for the large expat, European crowd within the town and has gone a step further by offering to establish a church for Christians in the town.
He said he would allocate the historical chapel in the immediate vicinity of the Apollon Temple to be used as a church.
"I know the foreign residents in Didim have made efforts toward building a church. To save them the cost of building a new church, we will provide the historical chapel near the Apollon Temple for them to use as a church," said Yıldırım.
For the past decade, many foreigners have come to live in the small coastal town, but the steady flow of expats has turned into a flood in the past four years as mostly British people quit their stressful lives in the United Kingdom for something slightly calmer on the Aegean.
While they are largely bystanders in the battle for the Didim Municipal Assembly, it has not stopped them from learning about the local parties and what they will offer if they win Sunday.
Most foreign residents have been brought up in their adopted hometown with its present mayor, the kind and jovial-looking Mumin Kamacı, who is standing for another crack at power.
It has been under his stewardship of the last five years that the town’s infrastructure has improved remarkably and a number of eye-catching projects have bolstered tourism and life in the town.
Last year saw the opening of Didim’s international port and this year will see the completion of the multimillion-dollar marina, which will enhance the town’s image on the tourism front. There are also promises of a golf course and five-star hotels in the pipeline.
And Kamacı, running for the Republican People’s Party, or CHP, unveiled a series of future projects, including a sports and entertainment center, a city square and a large bar and shopping center during his next tenure.
Renovation plans
He also unveiled plans to establish a cultural center, renovate historical houses, and open the area for tourism, pedestrian roads and piers in Fevzipaşa Mahallesi. "We have six projects as the six arrows in the emblem of our party for the next five years," he said.
His main rival, dentist Hilmi Yıldırım, is no less passionate about providing for the large expat, European crowd within the town and has gone a step further by offering to establish a church for Christians in the town.
He said he would allocate the historical chapel in the immediate vicinity of the Apollon Temple to be used as a church.
"I know the foreign residents in Didim have made efforts toward building a church. To save them the cost of building a new church, we will provide the historical chapel near the Apollon Temple for them to use as a church," said Yıldırım.