Marmaris’ vote counts
Güncelleme Tarihi:
Doğan News Agency
Oluşturulma Tarihi: Aralık 17, 2008 00:00
MARMARİS - Some believe expanding the Marmaris Port will harm the environment, while others believe it will be a great asset for tourism. Now the public will decide who is right as the port’s management decide to offer a referendum over if the port should be expanded or not
Marmaris people will run to the voting booths to decide the future of their town, as a referendum will be held to decide if the port should be expanded or not.
The residents of the county will vote on the project to expand the Marmaris Port by 300 meters through a dock to be built in the bay. Although the project was prepared three years ago and now awaits approval from the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, the management of the Marmaris Port had made up its mind to give power to the people.
"Even if the ministry approves the project, we will hold a referendum anyway," said Doğan Tugay, a director of management of the Marmaris Port.
Environmentalists have seriously opposed the idea, claiming the new dock would be harmful to marine life and the benefits of expanding tourism in the county are unscientific and untrue.
Another board member of the management, Fatih Dağıstanlı, opposed the assertions of the environmentalists, saying the project was shaped by a team led by an environmental engineer and they have every necessary document including a report of Environmental Effect Evaluation, or ÇED.
Doğan Tugay said the new dock would not harm the environment but would contribute to both local and national tourism greatly.
Tugay said he was born in Marmaris and his company owns the marina, some hotels and yachts besides the port; harming the environment would hurt them also.
"My family, my grandfathers, my ancestors have been living here for more than 200 years," he said. "Let us love Marmaris, too. As a lover of Marmaris, it will be me to oppose the harming of the nature first."
Environmentalists happy
However, Tugay said they would stop the process if people vote "no." He said they believed there was no authority greater than the people and they would hold the referendum in any case.
The environmental volunteers, who previously made statements that the expansion of the port will disrupt the ecological balance and cause visual, noise and sea pollution, are pleased to hear that a referendum will be held.
"A very positive step," said Filiz Ertan, leader of the Marmaris Environmental Volunteers. "The people would not let the port expand. I hope Mr. Tugay will hold his promise in that case. However, if expanding the port is attempted anyways, we will continue to resist and appeal to the European Court of Human Rights if necessary."
A referendum in an occasion involving the environment is the first of its kind in Turkey and similar to an example experienced in Germany, according to Akif Çarkçı, a specialist in local administrations.
"In Germany, the public opinion was asked in rebuilding of a port," Çarkçı said to Hürriyet Daily News & Economic Review. "Then the administrator was called to Eskişehir to give a briefing about it. But no such previous example in Turkey comes to mind."
However, Çarkçı recalls a few incidents when local administrators asked the public about their opinion.
"Of course there are surveys, or other projects to collect information," said Çarkçı, recalling a former Ankara Metropolitan Mayor who founded a committee of locals for rebuilding in Hacıbayram. In another example, the Pendik Municipality asked 20,000 citizens how they thought Pendik should be in the future.
"There are no examples of official local referendums, though," he said, adding that those incidents were unofficial, which was a result of Turkey’s underdeveloped level of local democracy.
The next step in the Marmaris Port process is for the Ministry of Culture and Tourism to approve the project. "Files and reports featuring decisions and opinions from 15 related authorities are at the commission of the ministry, which is acting as the coordinator. We are awaiting their decision" Dağıstanlı said.
The residents of the county will vote on the project to expand the Marmaris Port by 300 meters through a dock to be built in the bay. Although the project was prepared three years ago and now awaits approval from the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, the management of the Marmaris Port had made up its mind to give power to the people.
"Even if the ministry approves the project, we will hold a referendum anyway," said Doğan Tugay, a director of management of the Marmaris Port.
Environmentalists have seriously opposed the idea, claiming the new dock would be harmful to marine life and the benefits of expanding tourism in the county are unscientific and untrue.
Another board member of the management, Fatih Dağıstanlı, opposed the assertions of the environmentalists, saying the project was shaped by a team led by an environmental engineer and they have every necessary document including a report of Environmental Effect Evaluation, or ÇED.
Doğan Tugay said the new dock would not harm the environment but would contribute to both local and national tourism greatly.
Tugay said he was born in Marmaris and his company owns the marina, some hotels and yachts besides the port; harming the environment would hurt them also.
"My family, my grandfathers, my ancestors have been living here for more than 200 years," he said. "Let us love Marmaris, too. As a lover of Marmaris, it will be me to oppose the harming of the nature first."
Environmentalists happy
However, Tugay said they would stop the process if people vote "no." He said they believed there was no authority greater than the people and they would hold the referendum in any case.
The environmental volunteers, who previously made statements that the expansion of the port will disrupt the ecological balance and cause visual, noise and sea pollution, are pleased to hear that a referendum will be held.
"A very positive step," said Filiz Ertan, leader of the Marmaris Environmental Volunteers. "The people would not let the port expand. I hope Mr. Tugay will hold his promise in that case. However, if expanding the port is attempted anyways, we will continue to resist and appeal to the European Court of Human Rights if necessary."
A referendum in an occasion involving the environment is the first of its kind in Turkey and similar to an example experienced in Germany, according to Akif Çarkçı, a specialist in local administrations.
"In Germany, the public opinion was asked in rebuilding of a port," Çarkçı said to Hürriyet Daily News & Economic Review. "Then the administrator was called to Eskişehir to give a briefing about it. But no such previous example in Turkey comes to mind."
However, Çarkçı recalls a few incidents when local administrators asked the public about their opinion.
"Of course there are surveys, or other projects to collect information," said Çarkçı, recalling a former Ankara Metropolitan Mayor who founded a committee of locals for rebuilding in Hacıbayram. In another example, the Pendik Municipality asked 20,000 citizens how they thought Pendik should be in the future.
"There are no examples of official local referendums, though," he said, adding that those incidents were unofficial, which was a result of Turkey’s underdeveloped level of local democracy.
The next step in the Marmaris Port process is for the Ministry of Culture and Tourism to approve the project. "Files and reports featuring decisions and opinions from 15 related authorities are at the commission of the ministry, which is acting as the coordinator. We are awaiting their decision" Dağıstanlı said.