The protected area became a tourist area
Ada Sude ATAK
The ministry's decision to convert a 298,000-square-meter area in Tırtar (Kumkuyu) in the Erdemli district, designated as a "reserve construction area" in the Adana- Mersin Environmental Plan three years ago, into a tourism zone has drawn criticism. It has been reported that the Mersin Metropolitan Municipality will lodge an objection to the area, which lies within the boundaries of an archaeological site .
An area of approximately 298,000 square meters located in the Tırtar neighborhood of the Erdemli district of Mersin province was declared a "Reserve Building Area" by the General Directorate of Infrastructure and Urban Transformation Services of the Ministry of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change in 2022. After the zoning plan amendments were suspended in 2023, the Mersin Metropolitan Municipality objected to the changes, but the General Directorate of Spatial Planning of the Ministry of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change declared the objection inadmissible and the plan amendments finalized.
He was in the judicial processThe municipality subsequently filed a lawsuit requesting the cancellation of the zoning plans and a stay of execution. However, the 2nd Administrative Litigation Chamber of the Adana Regional Administrative Court rejected the request for a stay of execution. While the case was still pending appeal, the Ministry of Environment and Urbanization suspended the decision regarding the reserve area on June 20 of this year, approving the environmental plan amendment proposal. Subsequently, on July 14, the decision to transform the same area into a tourism zone was suspended by the Provincial Directorate of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change. Commenting on the latest developments, Mersin Metropolitan Municipality told BirGün, “It has been determined that the 1/100,000 scale environmental plan amendment proposal for the area, which is currently under litigation, was approved and suspended by the General Directorate of Spatial Planning of the Ministry of Environment and Urbanization on June 20, 2025. Work is ongoing on the objections we will file regarding the file in question.”
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PLAN CHANGE IS SUSPENDEDThe decision regarding the tourism zone was suspended for 30 days at the Mersin Provincial Directorate of Environment, Urbanization, and Climate Change. The announcement summarized the changes made by presidential decree as follows:
"A regulation has been made to designate the area in question as a 'Tourism zone' for the 'purposes' of providing adequate social, cultural and infrastructure services that will improve the quality of life of the residents of the region, within the boundaries of the area subject to the registered plan change, which is a 298 thousand 552.65 meter reserve building area belonging to the Treasury."
BirGün
