A second protest demonstration took place on Saturday morning, 28th April to protest at the planned Plaza Hotel complex to be constructed in the middle of a quiet residential area on the borders of Bellapais and Ozankoy. The march, which included abut fifty local residents, villagers and members of community and environmental groups, including Kenan Atakol of the Environmental Protection Foundation, Cekova, started from the car park of the old village school. Protesters with banners walked up into the centre and addressed the villagers and visitors outside the abbey ruins.
Firstly Ahmet Ertugan outlined the reasons for the protest in Turkish and then Bryan Hill responded in English. The main points raised were as follows:
Our main objection remains the proposed building of the large hotel which will have such an adverse affect on our lives, particularly if permission is given for it to be increased further in size bringing the increased nuisance of a casino or night club. However, we are also seeking to highlight the escalating destruction of the village environs… the desecration of the old Crusader Road Ravine, not only an environmental disaster but an erosion of the heritage of this historic place. We were also concerned at the prospect of a new quarry being blasted out of the mountainside above this beautiful village. These were merely local examples of similar indiscriminate acts against our coastline, mountains and ravines throughout the TRNC.
We have been accused of not caring about the future economic growth of the country. This is not true. We believe in a controlled and sustainable economy for our tourist industry and the construction industry, too. But we face another year of irreversible decline in tourism with the prospect of more to follow, unless the authorities act positively. It will not do to blame the lack of direct flights. A few years ago we and others like us were coming here and it was no easier then. What has changed? Visitors are offended by what they see… a concrete jungle and the biggest rubbish dump in the Mediterranean. They return home, never to come back. Not only that, they tell their friends and family, and they don’t come at all.
Those of us who have moved here, spend our money, pay our taxes and take nothing out of the local economy, now feel betrayed. No wonder there is so much discontent among the foreign nationals that many are considering moving away. There is also unrest among British and London Cypriot people with holiday homes here, resulting in the threat of going to the European press with the message… “Don’t go to Northern Cyprus on holiday... Don’t buy a home there.” We hope this won’t happen, it will damage the fragile reputation of the TRNC, but the authorities must listen to us soon, because it may be beyond our control.
We would also make the point that this is not just an environmental issue, it is one of Human Rights. It is 15 months since the Council of Ministers approved the TRNC Environmental Policy Statement based on EU Directives, giving local communities the legal right to be informed of building projects that would have an impact on their lives, in advance of a decision being made by the government. This would allow them to accept or reject the plan. Has any project been put to the people during this period. We certainly haven’t been consulted. Indeed, when we have expressed our views to the media, there have been occasions when our comments have been censored. How can this be right? After all, surely we are working to the same end as the government… a sustainable, controlled economic growth, but we seem to be the only ones that care.
We would like to thank everyone that is supporting our campaign by attending our meetings, signing our petition (http://PlazaHotelProtest.start-a-petition.com) and the media for giving us the publicity we need. We would also like to thank the government in anticipation that they will soon listen to our views.
Bryan Hill
For the Plaza Hotel Protest Lobby Group.