PodcastThe protection status of Patara and Fırnaz Bay saved by court decision
The Patara region and Fırnaz Bay, two touristic destinations known for their natural beauty, will remain Grade 1 natural protection areas thanks to a successful legal battle against a decision to downgrade their status. The Ministry of Environment and Urbanization had downgraded the level of protection granted to these two sites following an assessment by a private firm.
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The Patara region and Fırnaz Bay will remain Grade 1 natural protection areas following a succesful legal battle to reverse a decision by the Ministry of Environment and Urbanization to downgrade their status.
The ministry had decided to downgrade the protection level based on a private company's inspection and evaluation of the area. The Union of Chambers of Turkish Engineers and Architects, The Antalya Chamber of Architects and Kaş Tourism and Promotion Association sued the Ministry for outsourcing the necessary evaluation to a private company, and then basing the downgrade on said evaluation, which the court later ruled lacks scientific data and consideration for previous assessments of natural protection areas.
The Patara region of Kaş and Fırnaz Bay were both Grade 1 natural protection areas, which was then downgraded to the status of “sensitive area,” “qualified natural protection area,” and “continued protection open to limited use.” Antalya's 4th administrative court ruled that the downgrade in the level of protection would “irreversibly damage the quality and continuity” of the areas.