Critical statements from President Özçelik concerning the people of Alanya
Alanya Mayor Osman Tarık Özçelik provided an assessment of current issues following the Council Meeting. He invited the public to the Gökbel Oil Wrestling Festival taking place this weekend. Mayor Özçelik also made statements on topics such as hygiene, combating illegal activities, the pier, and marine pollution.
After the weekly regular Council Meeting of Alanya Municipality, Mayor Osman Tarık Özçelik made statements to the press. Inviting the people of Alanya to the Gökbel Oil Wrestling Festival taking place this weekend, Mayor Özçelik said, "We are holding the 18th Gökbel Oil Wrestling Festival this Saturday and Sunday. Our festival will feature 60 head wrestlers and a total of 750 participants. We are making efforts to organize the festival and wrestling events more systematically, regularly, and under better discipline compared to previous years. We have recorded everything. Once the festival is over, we will hold a meeting to review the experiences gained, identify any shortcomings, and begin planning for future years.
WE HAVE NO INTENTION OF REMOVING OR DESTROYING ANYTHING THAT EXISTS
Mayor Özçelik stated, ‘After I became mayor, there were rumors that the Gökbel Festival would no longer be held or would be canceled. No one came to ask me. During the election campaign, I claimed that I would not destroy or remove anything that exists, but rather make what is already there better. I am doing this and will continue to do so. We will raise the level of Alanya as high as we can. Elmalı and Kırkpınar festivals have been held for approximately 650 years. It would be presumptuous to say that we will surpass them. We are currently in 18th place, but our goal is to place Gökbel in 4th place in the 20th and 21st years.
WRESTLING WILL BE INCLUDED IN BELEDİYESPOR’
Mayor Özçelik gave some good news to wrestling enthusiasts, stating, ‘Sport is brotherhood. One of its benefits is that it helps children and young people avoid harmful habits by starting sports at an early age. Therefore, in the upcoming period, we will make developments related to wrestling within Belediyespor to elevate the level of wrestling in Alanya.
"OUR HYGIENE INSPECTIONS CONTINUE"
Mayor Özçelik stated, ‘In the meeting with bakery, pastry shop, and simit sellers, we once again emphasized our sensitivity regarding hygiene. Additionally, our inspection teams continue to limit themselves to issuing warnings during their initial visits to businesses. We have given them a deadline until October 1 to complete the necessary procedures. They thanked us for this approach.
"WE WILL DO EVERYTHING WE CAN IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE LAWS REGARDING EXORBITANT PRICES"
Responding to questions from the press about current issues, Mayor Özçelik said the following regarding businesses in Alanya with exorbitant prices: ‘We have menus and price lists displayed in front of restaurants. Following my instructions given at today’s Council Meeting, inspections will start tomorrow morning. During these inspections, it will be checked whether businesses are displaying their product prices on the exterior of their establishments for customers to see. Businesses with deficiencies will be given one week to correct them. This process will be recorded by obtaining the wet signature of the person to whom the notice was delivered.
"THE CURRENT OPERATION SYSTEM AT THE PIER CONTINUES"
Speaking about marine pollution, Mayor Özçelik said, ‘We are receiving many reports and complaints about marine pollution. There are numerous complaints that the trash from our tour boats is somehow being dumped into the sea. We are working on this issue. Unfortunately, as a municipality, we cannot carry out work at the pier because the current operational system continues, as the pier is currently managed by the Fishermen's Cooperative. There are some investments needed here. I do not blame the Fishermen's Cooperative, as these are significant investments that need to be made by the municipality. The contract for this area has expired. We have requested permission from the ministry as a municipality. According to the law, the Fishermen's Cooperative must continue to manage this area. However, we have asked to be authorized to carry out certain services, such as installing a bilge pump and developing the zoning plan. Some of the docking areas have tilted forward. When a boat returns, its propeller digs under the concrete, and after a while, the concrete block tilts forward. This issue exists in 3-4 places and is problematic. To address these issues, I need to be authorized or in a position to invest there. We are discussing this. Since everyone has good intentions, things have gone well so far, but as you know, things move slowly in public affairs. As we mentioned, our request was for this, and if it is resolved in this direction, the municipality should follow up on these tasks. It is not feasible for the cooperative to carry out these works.
