Project to promote secluded lake on way

TRABZON

Turkish authorities have initiated a new phase of a project implemented at Uzungöl, which is reminiscent of the Swiss Alps with its location surrounded by mountains and dense forests that are home to lush green trees, in a bid to boost tourism.

The new phase of a five-stage project was launched by the Environment and Urbanization Ministry to promote a secluded lake, Uzungöl, in the Black Sea province of Trabzon’s Çaykara district.

Noting that the five-stage project was prepared by authorities and relevant parties to increase the attractiveness of the area, Environment and Urbanization Murat Kurum said Uzungöl’s natural beauty and the cultural structures surrounding it would be preserved within the scope of the project.

Stressing that two stages of the project have been completed, Kurum stated that the structures built on the treasury land were removed and the landscaping was done together with the zoning work.

In the remaining three stages of the project, walking and cycling paths will be prepared for visitors, and a nature-friendly parking lot will be built with a capacity of 1,000 vehicles.

“We will implement an important arrangement project in which the buildings here will be removed, a car park will be built, and those crooked structures around the lake will be removed next [summer] season,” Kurum said, implying that works in line with the project would begin in 2022.

The problem of architectural pollution and insufficient infrastructure in Uzungöl has become a major concern in the region, which attracts nearly a million local and foreign tourists every year.