Fatih Altaylı: Warning to summer paradise: don't grow, stay just the way you are

It is the renowned duty of journalists to write about their vacations when they go on one. I do it too. I haven't actually gone on one this year yet, but during summer months, a favorite place to go in Turkey is Turkbuku. Or, as it is called in recent years, Golturkbuku. Though just a little village in the past, it has become a shining star in recent years. Its coastline filled with docks, in back of these, lots of expensive hotels, and in the hills above these, million dollar homes. The development has been astonishing.  But there is a typical Turkish mistake being made here. There are trying to "grow" Golturkubuku. The authorities in Golturkbuku must not realize that "growth" doesn't always have good results. They need to protect the specialness of Golturkbuku before they grow. But in Turkey, especially in summer month municipalities, there is a lack of understanding about this. They want to grow fast, built boulevards, set up plazas. But in the world, when it comes to summer paradises, are there any examples like this? No! Does Saint Tropez grow and grow? What about Portofino?  No, they stay small. Because they know that, by staying small, they protect their value. Small, with a small capacity for guests. Desirable, but difficult to reach. When they stay that way, the remain valuable. Real estate prices go up, as do hotel prices. Restaurants stay expensive. And this is what Turkish tourism needs. Chic, flawless, expensive places. If Golturkbuku is protected, it will, in a few years, be the spot for the world's wealthiest tourists, a place everyone will be wanting to come to, a place people will regret not seeing if they decide to pass up.  But if Golturkbuku is not protected, it will become what Kusadasi and Bodrum have become: places given over to cement and human masses, no value left.  Golturkbuku's city municipality must make some real choices in the near future. They need to focus not on growth, but on staying the size they are, on protecting the cleanliness and beauty of the area. Â