Kalkan Turkish Local News attended last week's Belediye Board meeting.

Here is our report on what was a brief session.

As is often the case, some of the more interesting points came after the formal agenda was done and dusted.

Harbour tax grab
The first item discussed was overdue taxes on Kalkan harbour.  We don't pretend to understand the precise legalities of the situation, but here is our take on the issue.

It would appear that the whole harbour area belongs to the Turkish government, but Kalkan Belediye controls its use.  Apparently, the Belediye is obliged to pay some kind of rent or tax, for this privilege.

Unfortunately, it transpires that Kalkan Belediye has never paid this tax.  So the current Mayor has unwittingly inherited an accumulated debt from all his predecessors. 

Precisely why none of the earlier administrations paid up, is not clear, but it seems that the music has stopped whilst Mayor Saim Karakurt is left holding the parcel.  The parcel in question containing an IOU of around 120,000TL.  Not exactly loose change.

The finances of Kalkan Belediye are part of the wider finance function (Maliye) in Kaş.  We are told that when this long overdue debt came to light, the finance people in Kaş decided to take what was owing out of the Kalkan Belediye bank account in one hit.  The Belediye is unhappy about this.

Although technically the money is owed, the Belediye would like to pay the amount in installments.  Negotiations are continuing.

As far as the formal agenda was concerned, that was pretty much it.  There were then discussions on a few hot topics.  Water, street dogs and construction.

Kalkan water
The Mayor is aware of the problems facing people in Kalkan, who are without water.  He stressed that he wishes to improve the situation as a matter of priority, which is why two new, powerful pumps have been bought.  He said that just like the harbour tax, this is a long standing problem that his administration inherited.

Despite the current difficulties, he said that overall, the supply problems were much worse in the past.  They are committed to making Kalkan's water supply more reliable.

Street dogs
A member of the public raised the subject of street dogs.  He told the Mayor that there is a serious problem in Kalkan and it is getting worse.  He mentioned Kalamar Road as being an area where the problem is particularly bad, with dogs roaming in packs.

KTLN told the Mayor that in our latest annual Kalkan survey, answered by over 400 people, out of 37 questions asking about levels of satisfaction on various things, the question that rated the highest level of dissatisfaction, was the management of street animals.  And the rate of dissatisfaction had increased, since the previous year. 

The Mayor acknowledged that there is a problem, however he said finding a solution that is sustainable, is not easy. 

He pointed to the fact that the Belediye has got daily rubbish collections, plus new bins with closing lids, which has reduced the number of dogs roaming round, tipping bins over, and rummaging for food.  He noted that some people appear to deposit rubbish at the side of bins, which attracts dogs, cats and vermin, and he appealed to the public to place rubbish inside the bins.

[Editor: It always baffles us that people can make it as far as the bin, but for some reason can't be bothered to lift the lid and put it inside the bin.]

After the meeting ended, a Board member told KTLN that the Belediye has been made aware, through an intermediary, of a wealthy individual from the Antalya region, who is sympathetic to the problem, and there is a possibility that he may be willing to help both Kalkan and Kaş, with the establishment of a properly funded sanctuary. 

We wish to stress that this is far from being a done deal, but we will watch developments with interest.

Another member of the public raised a number of complaints, including the water supply problems, the state of the local roads, and street dogs.  The Mayor listened, and acknowledged the lady's concerns.  They are all subjects on his personal agenda.

Building regulations
Another point was raised, this time about builders not abiding by building regulations.  An example was discussed where a local builder had built an illegal depot.  Action was taken against him, so he then blocked off the depot, and got the Belediye to confirm the work had been done. 

It was alleged that subsequently, the blocked depot was 'unblocked'.  There followed an exchange between the Board members and people in the audience about the difficulties and challenges in managing and overseeing construction in Kalkan.

Local minibus service
KTLN was going to raise the question of the local dolmuş (minibus) service, which was introduced in August 2010, but which is barely operating at the moment.  However, we were told that one of the local operators was due to speak with the Mayor, so we thought we would wait to hear the outcome. 

We are publishing a separate news article on this tomorrow, Wednesday 15th June.

The next meeting will be on the 5th July.  There will not be a meeting in August.

Kalkan Turkish Local News - your window on Kalkan Turkey