Turkish opposition slams government's sale of Datça coastal land

A Turkish opposition lawmaker has strongly condemned the government's decision to place a significant tract of public land in the picturesque Datça peninsula under a privatization program.

Cumhur Uzun, a member of parliament from the Republican People's Party (CHP) in Muğla, voiced his outrage in a written statement, denouncing the move as a "plunder" of natural heritage. He argued that the 384,000 square meters of land, encompassing some of Datça's most beautiful bays, should be preserved for future generations rather than sold off as real estate.

"What they have sold for 23 years is not enough," Uzun stated, referring to the ruling party's tenure. "With the decision made tonight, under the guise of privatization, hundreds of thousands of square meters of public land in one of Datça's most beautiful bays have been put up for sale." He emphasized that the country's coastlines, bays, and natural beauty are a shared heritage of all 86 million citizens, not the property of a few privileged investors.

Uzun criticized the government's approach, accusing it of marketing the sale of public assets as development while leaving behind "devastated coastlines, concretized nature, and living spaces inaccessible to the public." He vowed that he and his party would not remain silent in the face of this "plunder."