Belediye Başkanı Ahmet Çalca'ya Mektup

 

Belediye Başkanı – Ahmet Çlaca,

Akyaka Belediyesi,

Akyaka,

Ula/Muğla,

Turkiye.

30 June 2011

 

Dear Ahmet Bey,

Please forgive me for writing to you in English.

You may remember that you came to my photographic exhibition in 2008 and I

sent you some photographs later the same year.

I am writing to you about the destruction of the river bank along the North side

of the Kadın Azmak, from the Cennett Restaurant to the harbour – nearly one

kilometre. I was witness to some of this destruction, done by a JCB digger scrapingup

the bottom of the river bank and ripping-out the reed-beds.

I remember you telling me the great pleasure you got from my photograph of the

geese on the Azmak – a photograph I can no longer take since the river bank has

now been destroyed. Please see the photographs at the end of this letter, which

clearly show some of the awful state of the river.

I do not know how this happened but I do know this is a very bad thing for

Akyaka. What will the tourists and visitors in the summer think ? Not good, I

believe.

Furthermore, Akyaka is now under international attention since it is now an

accredited Cittaslow and it has been part of international environmental studies.

What will the international community think about this kind of reckless

environmental destruction ?

Clearly the river needs to be restored to its former state – the rocks need to be

carefully placed back in the river (not scraped back by a JCB digger) and the reedbeds

need to be replanted or encouraged to grow once again. Fortunately, this is

damage that can be reversed. But action needs to be taken quickly before some of

the restaurants start using the cleared areas as car parks.

May I, most respectfully, make the following suggestions:

1. The river is immediately restored to its former condition. The rocks and

stones need to be carefully returned to the river bed and the river bank

restored. This needs to be done sensitively, and with manual labour

without using a JCB digger.

2. The reed-beds need to be encouraged to re-grow, and where they cannot

they need to be replanted.

3. The restaurants and business along the river bank need to be told not to

use the newly cleared areas as they will be restored. Barriers need to be

put up to protect these areas from further damage.

4. An environmental restoration and protection plan needs to be drawn up

for the river area and approved by the Kent Konseyi.

5. May I most respectfully suggest that you and your staff go on some

environmental management courses to learn how to manage the

environment in a sympathetic and sensitive way. I also suggest visiting

European environmental organisations and groups to learn how they

manage their environments in a sustainable way.

6. An officer, with environmental management qualifications, is appointed

the Belediye staff – whose responsibility is for the protection and

management of the environment of Akyaka.

Ahmet Bey, I am certain you will agree that the river needs to be restored to its

former natural state. I will be coming to Akyaka at the end of July and I am looking

forward to seeing how you will have progressed in restoring the river.

My very good wishes,

Simon Simpson

Not: Belediye Başkanı Ahmet Çalca 4 aydır mektubuma cevap verme nezaketini göstermedi.