Duvar English
Construction for 28 new villas in the Meşelik neighborhood in Turkey’s tourist hub Muğla province raised questions about the government’s zoning policy regarding burned-down forest areas in popular tourist regions.
The 250-hectare Turkish Pine forest in the Meşelik neighborhood burned down in a 2007 wildfire. Then Forestry Director and ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) deputy of Muğla, İbrahim Aydın, reassured locals that the area would be reforested and not opened to construction.
The deputy had said, “Forest and development zones are clearly delineated. I am confident that the burned area will not be opened to construction. We will begin planting and reforestation in the coming months,” according to Feb. 10 reporting by the daily Sözcü.
The confidence was unfounded, as three hotel complexes were built on the burnt forest lot. La Blanche Island in 2012, Titanic Deluxe Bodrum in 2016, and Lujo Bodrum in 2018. The owner of Lujo Bodrum…
