A road has been constructed in Limanağzı Bay, located within the boundaries of the Kaş–Kekova Special Environmental Protection Zone in the Kaş district of Antalya, southern Tukey, despite the area being under multiple conservation statuses.
Olive trees were uprooted and the land was leveled to make way for the road.
The company granted permission to build and use the road is chaired by former politician Erkan Mumcu, who served as the culture and tourism minister twice between 1999 and 2005.
Ahmet Murat Akoy, head of the Kaş Environment and Culture Association, told bianet that the Antalya Regional Directorate of Forestry granted permission for the road, citing “public interest” as the justification.
He said that the road’s usage rights were granted to Egem Eko Turizm Yatırımları A.Ş., a company owned by Mumcu, for a period of 29 years.
“There are olive groves here that belong to locals from Kaş,” Akoy said. “But this road was not built so that locals could access their groves and harvest olives more easily when the time comes. It was given to a company, and its owner is Erkan Mumcu. This does not align with the public interest.”
The association has filed a lawsuit demanding the cancellation and suspension of the permit issued by the forestry directorate. It argues that the permit serves private rather than public interests, violates the law, and could cause irreparable harm if implemented.
Akoy also challenged the legality of the roadwork, noting that the area is classified as olive groves. “You need a legitimate justification and official approval from the provincial and district agriculture directorates to carry out any activity on land of this nature,” he said.
Olive groves turned into mining fields overnight: 'This is not just an environmental issue'
Land classified as olive groves
When Akoy and association members inquired with the Agriculture and Forestry Ministry’s Kaş District Directorate about whether such approval had been granted, they were told that the land is still officially classified as olive groves, no application had been made to change this status, and no permits had been issued.
The association also submitted petitions to the Kaş District Governor’s Office and the Kaş District Directorate of the Agriculture and Forestry Ministry, demanding that the project be halted and those responsible penalized.
Turkey prepares to open olive groves for mining to ‘feed power plants’
Development under the guise of 'eco-tourism'
Akoy stressed that attempts to open the area to development under the name of “eco-tourism” have persisted since 2015. He said each time, plans were overturned by the courts.
He noted that the site is both a third-degree protected area and a designated special environmental protection zone, and said that the authority to draft development plans lies solely with the Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change Ministry.
“The ministry first prepared a revised master zoning plan at a scale of 1:25,000,” Akoy said. “Then in 2023, it drafted another master plan. However, all of these plans were annulled by the courts, based on reports prepared by expert panels that included professors and city planners from four different universities.”
Expansion of tourism facility in Bodrum protected area approved without environmental review
Mumcu defens action
In response to public criticism, former minister and company chairman Erkan Mumcu spoke to journalist Yusuf Yavuz.
“I don’t deserve to be labeled an enemy of the environment,” Mumcu said, defending the project as a legal requirement. “This is a study mandated by zoning regulations. I plan to establish a glamping facility here. These will be non-permanent structures, but a geological survey is legally required before a zoning plan can be prepared. To conduct this survey, we have to transport drilling equipment across forest land to the site.”
Mumcu explained that the route being opened is 380 meters long and 4 meters wide. “It’s just a leveled path where a tractor trailer can pass,” he said. “How can this be called a road? Zoning rights are a component of property rights. Would you agree if someone told you nothing could be built on your own land?
"And let me add, zoning is granted here under the most difficult and restrictive conditions. We’ve never asked for special treatment, and we’re not asking for it now.”
.jpg)
How has Cengiz Holding destroyed Turkey's forests?
'There is no approved zoning plan'
Akoy, however, dismissed Mumcu’s remarks as misleading. “There is no approved zoning plan for that area,” he said. “Without such a plan, a geological survey as required by zoning regulations cannot be conducted.”
Regarding the glamping project, Akoy added, “That area is designated for day-use facilities only. Since there’s no approved zoning plan, it’s not possible to build accommodation facilities there under current conditions.”
In a statement shared on Instagram, the association said there has never been road access to the area. Businesses along the coast have historically operated as day-use facilities without overnight stays, and access has been limited to boat trips between Kaş Harbor and Limanağzı.
The association plans to hold a press statement on Feb 14 at 2.00 pm local time (GMT+3) in Kaş Republic Square. Members of parliament are also expected to attend. (BT/HA/VK)
