Newsletters
Residents of the Gumusluk neighborhood in Türkiye’s coastal town of Bodrum staged a protest over the weekend, claiming that a public beach had been unlawfully taken over by a private business.
The demonstrators gathered along the shoreline, holding up a banner that read “Halk plaji halkindir!”—“Public beaches belong to the people!”
The protesters stated that a business had filled the entire public beach with sunbeds, umbrellas, and tables, leaving no space even for a single chair to be placed by residents or visitors.
The group voiced their discontent directly at the scene, stating that the beach—traditionally free for all—is now inaccessible without renting equipment from the business that set up on the sand.
The protest was organized by local civil groups. Carrying signs reading “Get your hands off the coast—it belongs to everyone” and “The coast is public,” the participants emphasized their determination to bring the matter to the attention of both the district governor's office and the Bodrum Municipality.
One spokesperson from the group stated in May, “This is not the first time we are taking action."
"In 2024 alone, we carried out protests at 18 beaches where it was impossible to walk under the sun because of umbrellas, tables and sunbeds."
"We even had to walk through the sea to make our point about public rights and legal access.”
As of now, the Bodrum Municipality has not issued any official statement regarding the protest or the alleged illegal occupation of the public beach.
The demonstrators indicated that they would continue to press authorities for action, maintaining that all coastlines must remain open and accessible to the general public.
2 min read
