Hundreds of trees to be felled for hotel road construction in Antalya

ANYALYA – Doğan News Agency

As part of this construction, a total of 484 stone pine trees will be cut down. DHA Photo

Hundreds of trees, which were planted in the 1950s to prevent wind erosion in the Sülüklü neighborhood of Antalya’s Demre district, are to be cut down for road construction to hotels that will be built after the area is legally opened to construction.

The Sülüklü neighborhood was announced as a touristic space by the Culture and Tourism Ministry a few years ago, after which an area of around 20 hectares was given to a private company for tourism use for 49 years. A five-star hotel, which is about to be finished, then started to be built in the area, and a road to reach the hotel is now under construction. As part of this construction, a total of 484 stone pine trees will be cut down, while the sand in the area is being removed, despite the fact that it is unique to the region and its removal is officially prohibited.

Locals have reacted to the construction and claim that there would be less damage to the area if the road was built outside the forest, while adding that a number of sea daffodil species have been destroyed. They also claim that the authorities had promised that no tree cutting would take place during the construction work.

However, Demre Municipality officials said the Culture and Tourism Ministry had the authority to make planning decisions in the region.  

“We have only applied to the Forestry and Waterworks Ministry to say that the plans will be implemented. The plans have been made by the Culture and Tourism Ministry. The regional department of the Forestry Ministry identified the trees that lay on the road construction area. A firm then won the tender and started to cut down those trees. The sand taken from the area is now being stored in certain areas,” said municipality officials.

The area in question is known for its Sülüklü, Taşdibi and Kömürlük beach trees that were planted in the 1950s to prevent wind erosion. A stone pine tree forest was also planted in the area in the following years.