A Guide for the Unguided
Real and Virtual
Tough Days at Pina Peninsula
Some people just can not have enough, money that is. They only see what they do not have and want to make it their own, regardless of the fact that they already have plenty. They might show some mercy if you are a human, but if you are a tree, part of the eco-system, sea etc, tough luck for you. You are only an asset that can be sold, disposed, or transformed so that they can get richer.
MNG Holding rented an 85 acre land in Pina Peninsula at Gulluk Bay, close to the renowned city of Bodrum. So far, so good. I am not naive to claim each and every resort is a threat to environment. Yes, maybe some damage occurs but in the long run, I believe private sector can protect the environment much better than the government, if the government in question is ours.
The construction started, a few trees (namely Aleppo Pines -lat. Pinus Halepensis, a very rare plant native to Mediterranean) were cut but they suddenly discovered that they needed a place to get rid of all the dump. And what better place was there but the sea itself? With an additional advantage that the sea floor would be covered with sand (so visitors will walk without hurting their feet because of the rocks and stones and pebbles and what not that incidentally happen to be there), and elevated in a few places (so that they can build a few quays). The local court stopped the construction and sent them a ticket of roughly usd 15000, plus a deadline to collect all the trash they had dumped.
On 13 Jun 2008, exactly one day to the court deadline, the divine forces intervened. Seeing such good men of faith in trouble, they told our super-democratic government which happens to have a direct communication line to divinity, to do something about it. Believers should help believers, right? The Ministery of Commerce has given MNG an obscurely worded project permission of one year. Nobody, especially the government gives a damn about courts and law anyway.
Some good hearted people of dubious faith are following it up through legal channels. I do not think they will be successful, though.