Demolition decision issued for Briton’s villa construction in paradise bay

ANTALYA

A demolition decision has been made for a British citizen’s villa construction on the protected Üçağız Peninsula in the southern province of Antalya’s Demre district.

The building registration certificate of the villa by the sea was canceled by the Provincial Directorate of Environment and Urbanization.

The demolition of the villa will be carried out by the Demre Municipality.

A heated public debate flared up last week after the photos of the villa construction in a protected area, where the blue and green of the Mediterranean meet, were spread on social media.

About 10 years ago, there was an illegal structure on the natural wonder peninsula, but a British named Cloudya Jamey Hankes bought the structure through a company with a Turkish citizen partner.

In 2018, a “zoning amnesty” was issued by the government for unlicensed buildings across the country.

Based on this decision, the British demolished the shack and started to build a new, modern and larger villa in its place, even though the “amnesty” did not make such a construction legal.

As a result of the investigation initiated upon the complaints of Demre residents, it was noted that the villa was located in both the special environmental protection zone and the first-degree natural protected area.

Considering the fact that the construction was also against the Coastal Law, the authorities canceled the building registration certificate and sent the decision to the municipality for demolition.

The illegal villa includes a ladder to go down to the sea, a pier adjacent to the ladder and an arbor-style structure for sunbeds.

It is seen that the windows and doors made of wood have been newly installed in the villa, according to the photos taken about a month ago.

A solar energy system consisting of nearly 40 panels was installed near the cape of the peninsula, where electricity is not available.