Lighting project on cliffs stirs social media debate

ANTALYA

A social media debate has been sparked over Antalya Mayor Muhittin Böcek’s Twitter post in which he introduced a lighting project planned to be built on the world-famous cliffs of the Mediterranean province.

On Feb. 28, Böcek and the municipality shared a project on their social media accounts for the illumination of the city’s world-famous cliffs.

“The cliffs, which have been criticized for being dark for years, will be enlightened, Antalya will shine. With our cliff-lighting project, we will welcome millions of local and foreign guests with sparkling images,” Böcek said on his Twitter account by sharing an introduction video.

A public debate has been ignited following comments by some social media users who are demanding that such a system should not be installed on the cliffs.

Some users commented that the city seems like a Turkish tavern with its new look, while others called for the implementation of such a project after the residents were asked in a public survey.

After sharing the project on social media, many nature-loving scientists opposed to the lighting of the cliffs in terms of protecting the creatures they host in their natural environment.

Noting that the cliffs are a natural habitat for Mediterranean seals and many species, Tahsin Ceylan, Underwater Sports Federation (TSSF) environmental board chairman, warned that the lighting of the cliffs will adversely affect the natural life.

“The cliffs are the border of the epipelagic zone and most of the living life uses that area. Thousands of years of geological formation must be protected in its natural state,” Ceylan said.

Stating that the cliffs do not consist of only soil or rocks, Gökçe Coşkun from the Antalya Bird Watching Group reminded that the cliffs are home to meteor birds and rock swallows that do not migrate.

“When there is such lighting, a situation may arise where birds will not prefer [cliffs],” he said.

Many representatives of non-governmental organizations operating in the city also expressed their opinion that the cliffs should remain in their natural state.