Turkey’s southern Lara coastline declared protected area

ANTALYA

Turkey’s Environment and Urbanization Ministry has declared the southern province of Antalya’s Lara coastline a “designated natural protection area,” in a decision that will hamper any constructions posing a threat to the environment.

“The Lara coastline in Antalya’s Muratpaşa district has been registered as a ‘designated natural protection area’ on July 18,” the ministry’s regulation read.

The world famous Lara coastline’s status changed from “second-degree natural protection area” to “designated natural protection area” as part of a regulation that oversees the rearrangement of protected areas.

The protected area covers an area of almost 21 kilometers and 557 decares, and reaches an area near the Düden Waterfall.

Meanwhile, sea cliffs at the Lara coastline will also be subjected to regulations, as the process to declare it “must-be protected sensitive area” is ongoing, the provincial directorate of the ministry said in the declaration.

After the area is declared a “must-be protected sensitive area,” no construction works will be initiated, or carried out, except mandatory infrastructure services. After the expected declaration, a 686-decare and 21.2-kilometer area is projected to be included in the protected area.

Lara’s geographic structure has been posing major threats to constructions because its cliffs have spacious gaps and are eroding.