Tension rises between municipality, business owners over lodges at Antalya beach
ANTALYA- Demirören News Agency
Tension rose in the tourism hotspot of Konyaaltı Beach in the southern province of Antalya between cafe owners and the officials of the Antalya Metropolitan Municipality over illegally placed lodges at the beach.
The Antalya Metropolitan Municipality had sent a notice to the business owners of 33 facilities operating on the beach to remove the lodges within three days’ time.
But the business owners refused to, with officials coming to inspect the scene on the third day.
Some café workers stood inside and around the lodges to stop the officials from moving them.
“Because of the outbreak, we don’t earn enough. Now you are blocking our business,” the businesses owners told the officials.
The tension ended when the café owners got an appointment with Antalya Mayor Muhittin Böcek to discuss their situation, moving the lodges from the beach.
“We will talk to the mayor and find out how we can make Konyaaltı Beach a place where we can work and serve the people at the beach,” said Orhan Özer, the head of the Konyaaltı Beach and Cafes’ Businesspersons Society.
The cafe owners later gave two lodges to the municipality officials, according to Özer, who said there are around 4,000 people who work at the beach.
