Click to read the article in Turkish
Bodrum, a popular holiday destination in southwestern Turkey, saw a cove designated as a first-degree archaeological site amid plans for expanding a boat docking pier. The decision came after the Muğla Conservation of Natural Assets Board approved the archaeological findings documented by the Bodrum Underwater Archaeology Museum in Karacasöğüt Cove.
On May 29, the Ministry of Environment, Urbanization, and Climate Change had granted approval for the environmental impact assessment (EIA) process initiated by the Muğla Tourism Environment Foundation Tourism and Trade Limited Company (MUÇEV) for the pier project.
The Marmaris Ecological Struggle Committee announced yesterday that the region had obtained archaeological site status. In a written statement, they expressed, "Despite the signatures of all institutions that should protect the environment but have strayed from preserving nature, our long-standing fight has borne fruit, and the registration process has taken place to ensure the protection of Karacasöğüt Cove, which will be preserved for generations as a first-degree archaeological site."
Regarding this decision, they added, "With this outcome, the cancellation of the positive EIA decision for MUÇEV's marina capacity expansion, which we requested through our lawsuit filed on July 4, 2023, at Muğla 1st Administrative Court, has been realized with the protection of Karacasöğüt."
What happened?
Since 2021, MUÇEV and the Global Marin company have aimed to increase the capacity of the yacht harbors in Karacasöğüt Cove in Marmaris.
The Marmaris City Council, Muğla Environmental Platform (MUÇEP), and the Marmaris Ecological Struggle Committee have been fighting against the increase in marina capacity in Karacasöğüt, along with the residents, due to the cove's location in the Gökova Special Environmental Protection Area (SPA) and its hosting of endemic and rare species.
After archaeological findings from the Hellenistic period were discovered in the cove, the Marmaris City Council and Underwater Research Association (SAD) initiated legal actions against environmental damage.
A significant archaeological discovery was made during a dive conducted by SAD members on September 28, 2022, prompting the initiation of a legal process based on the report generated from the dive results.
The Ministry did not halt the EIA process and granted a positive EIA decision for the project on May 29, 2023. In addition to approving the capacity increase for the yacht harbor, MUÇEV also issued a "No EIA Required" decision for the Global Marin Yacht Harbor located in the same cove. (TY/VK)
