I found myself in Fethiye this week signing a petition that will be sent to the Government to back a campaign to make Fethiye a province. It made me think back to a discussion we had on here some years ago when Fethiye as trying to obtain City status, I think at that time, attracting cruise liners was seen as a high priority?
Anyway, I remember being firmly in the "No" camp in our discussions at that time yet here I was signing the "Yes" vote not only to attain City status but Provincial Status! So what has changed?
Well, back then I was living in the UK and then as I do now, I was charmed by Fethiye. We had taken a trip to Marmaris which is one of Turkeys main cruise liner ports of call and to say we didn't like Marmaris was an understatement. The thought of Fethiye taking on the character I had witnessed there filled me with dread.
Following the elections here last year (and I'm not getting into the politics of this) the control of Fethiye passed to Mugla, they now set water rates, control infrastructure, the Zabita, planning, even down to who cuts the grass in our parks and whether we spray for Mosquitos. For those of you that visited last year and saw the dreadful concrete canals and the disgraceful roads right by the beach in Calis, things like this remain and look no nearer to completion this year than they did last year. To me our area feels like it's now being strangled and following the great improvements seen in Fethiye over recent years, it's not great and we need a change.
If this goes through, Fethiye will regain control of its financial affairs and can return to its program of improvement.
So like me, I hope you sign the petition.
