The Bold and Ugly
A small victory for all lovers of nature and environmentalists. Yesterday, Izmir 1st Court canceled a government regulation which would allow construction of 14 golf courses and hotels in Cesme-Alacati-Pasalimani region. It would really break my heart to see the region in my blacklist.
The Department of Culture and Tourism run by our assholystic[1] government desperately in need of money to buy strips of land in the heavens were about to wipe out the remaining forests of gum trees (you can find them only here in Turkey) and the endemic huile de cade (lat. juniperus macrocarpa).
The plan of the governing ignorants was so bold that one wonders why they don’t kill themselves and go to that place they adore so much without wearing themselves in this planet we call Earth. They had planned to build 64 (yes, the number is correct; 14 courses were planned for the first phase) golf courses and a 75000 bed capacity. All in the middle of the forests.
I used to like golf, honestly. I have never played it but I enjoyed watching a game or two occasionally. Yet, I’m beginning to hate it after seeing what they did to forests in Belek. Now, I can barely hold myself when I see someone swinging a golf club. No, I will not share that fantasy with you.
The Cesme Environmental Association is very pleased with the result, but I do not share their joy. I have seen too many court orders, injunctions bypassed and ignored in this country, especially by the ruling parties. All I can say for now is I will follow up and if anyone builds anything in those forests, they will duly take their place in my list; if I do not decide to be more active, of course. Time will tell.
[1]I’m proud of this contribution of mine to the English vocabulary.
