No Flamingos At The Wetlands In Bodrum

Flamingos failed to flock to the Tuzla wetlands near the resort town of Bodrum this year, marking the latest blow to an ecosystem that faces the risk of disappearing completely. The area was declared a special protection zone five years ago, but industrialization & urbanization in the region is putting the wetlands at risk. Marble plants & carpet washing factories have continued to operate in the area their wastewater reaching the wetlands through the Mazı River.

More than 5,000 summerhouses were also built near the Tuzla wetlands, & all their wastewater is released into the lake.

Once home to 120 species of birds & 50 species of fish, the wetlands now struggle to survive.

One of the most important wetlands in the Aegean region is the victim of “a murder of nature & environment”, according to Süha Umar, deputy president of the Foundation for Preserving Wildlife & Game.

Umar said the foundation filed complaints to the prosecutor’s office & the Muğla Governor’s Office against the industrial facilities that are destroying the area.

“The Tuzla wetlands are a unique asset that offers both historical & natural beauties,” he said. “While we are making plans to promote Tuzla & turn this spot into a popular tourist destination, some irresponsible people are turning the heaven into hell. I will do everything possible not to let them.”

Cüneyt Karaoğlu, a member of the Bodrum Volunteers Association, said flamingos did not come to the Tuzla wetlands this year for the first time. Karaoğlu noted that construction in the area has damaged the stability of the wetlands.

“The regulations regarding the protected areas have changed a few times in the last couple of years,” he said. “As a result of our inspections in the Tuzla wetlands, we found out that the number of animals in the area was decreasing, & we sent our reports to officials underlining the reasons for the decrease. ”Karaoğlu said precautions should be taken immediately; otherwise, he said, no animals will be left in the wetlands.

Bahattin Atçı, local governor of Milas, said the factories near Tuzla were warned last year not to release their wastewater into the Mazı River. “I will immediately send teams to the area to check the factories,” said Atçı. “We will severely punish anyone who poisons or damages the wetlands; no one should doubt that.” The local governor added the former salt plant in the area would be converted into a cafeteria & bird watching house.

The deep inlet from the Gulf of Güllük & Mandalya Bay forms Tuzla Lake. Home to a host of ancient ruins, the lake is surrounded by mountains covered with olive groves, pines & tamarisk trees.

Designated an Important Bird Area, or IBA in 2001 Tuzla Lake, dissected by a causeway, is particularly special as a bird sanctuary. Throughout the year, a large variety of rare birds including pelicans, flamingos & white storks can be seen flocking to the wetlands.

The IBA also covers the Güllük Delta, leading up to the Hamza Valley & following the Akyol River into Uyku Vadisi, or Sleepy Valley. Sleepy Valley is a natural preservation area among steep rocks, a forest of rich fauna & the Hamzabey River. It is called this because one feels sleepy as a result of the fresh, clean air in the region. This valley is now an official National Park.

The brackish waters of Tuzla Lake, less than a meter deep, provide vital nourishment for birds “refuelling” on their long journey to & from Russia, Scandinavia, and parts of Europe & Africa. It is rich in fish, algae & tiny creatures & fed by three fresh water streams. The lake attracts flamingos, grey heron, egret & numerous species of duck & goose. Although rare, 45 Dalmatian pelicans have been sighted here, as well as white pelicans, pygmy cormorants, spoonbills, & ospreys.

The varied nature of the lake’s surroundings also makes it an important habitat for birds & other wildlife. Mud flats are alive with waders, including the rare terek sandpiper. The surrounding farmland, forest & hedgerows attract even more rarities such as the booted eagle & the saker & lanner falcons.

The area also benefits from an especially mild microclimate so booted eagle & swallows were spotted there in December when they would usually be in Africa at this time. The Cyprus warbler, rarely seen this far west, is another visitor benefiting from the warmer temperatures.

Apart from the myriad bird life of Tuzla Lake that numbers into the thousands & thousands in winter, permanent inhabitants also include terrapins, snakes, wild boar, badger, fox & porcupine.

For more information visit: http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com

Cumberland Landscaping & Design

Cumberland already have a fine reputation across the Bodrum Peninsular as a ‘green” developer in Turkey.

 But ever environmentally conscious and certainly not content to rest on our laurels (pardon the pun) we have expanded this side of our business. With the acquisition of an additional site, just south of Bodrum Milas Airport – keep an eye out for us beneath the “Cumberland Properties” sign on the right hand side of the main road as you travel south toward Bodrum – we will be able to better serve the local community.

 

This expansion has been fuelled, in part, by an increase in demand from other local developers and wholesalers who clearly envy our green fingers!

 

With the appointment of Gözde Tavaslı we aim not only to expand our business to cater for this sector of the market but also to extend our services into the wider community by the provision of a retail outlet.

 

Gözde will also be lending her services and considerable expertise by offering her services not only within Cumberland but also on a consultancy basis.

 

For more information contact: gozde@cumberlandproperties.net

         or visit: www.cumberland-properties.com

Turkey 5th Most Popular Holiday Destination

A newly published report by flight comparison service Skyscanner, compiled from its 7 million monthly UK visitors, lists Turkey amongst the Top 5 most searched holiday destinations - from UK airports - for 2010.

The data was compiled from the last quarter of 2009 when the majority of holidays are being planned for 2010 and provides an interesting insight into where the British plan to holiday this year. It is hoped a good number of visitors will go onto purchase property in Turkey.

Bodrum (BJV) ranked 15^th and Dalaman (DLM) 5^th over increasingly less popular Spanish destinations such as; Palma, Lanzarote, Gran Canaria, Barcelona, Murcia, Ibiza, Fuerteventura and Madrid - a number of which plummeted down the rankings.

Thomas Cook, TUI and easyJet have already announced increases to their services to Bodrum and Dalaman for 2010 to cater for the growth in demand.

Favourite Italian destinations such as Rome, Venice and Milan also saw their rankings slip.

Bodrum and Dalaman polled higher positions than even the most traditional European holiday destinations such as Faro (Portugal), Geneva (Switzerland), Paris and Nice (France), Amsterdam (Holland), Dublin (Ireland), Prague (Czech Rep.), Berlin and Munich (Germany), Salzburg (Austria), Crete (Greece) and Sofia (Bulgaria).

A major contributory factor could well be the strength of the Euro against the pound where the British in particular, when contrasted against their European counterparts, enjoy a beneficial rate when exchanging their pounds for Turkish Liras – more than doubling their money.

Turkey significantly attracted more interest as a holiday destination than Cyprus, Egypt, Morocco, Dubai and Malta.

Further afield, again Bodrum and Dalaman attracted more interest than New York and Las Vegas (USA), Bangkok (Thailand) and Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia).

Orlando however, polled 4^th position and is one the highest climbers compared to the same period last year, up 12 places. Travel Editor Sam Baldwin comments: “The rise in popularity of Orlando is primarily due to the new Harry Potter theme park opening in the spring. Other big movers include Johannesburg and Cape Town as the World Cup is just around the corner”. The top 3 positions remained unchanged.

Turkey emerged as a clearly favoured holiday destination for 2010 and is certainly continuing to build on its growing reputation as a cost effective alternative to traditional Spanish destinations.

Cumberland Properties can endorse these findings having already sold 2 properties at Woodland Regency in the first week of January 2010 and are currently experiencing a significant increase, over the same period last year, in enquiries for both property in Bodrum and rentals in Bodrum, having already secured a number of reservations for the ever popular Seaview Regency Prestige

Oh, and should you have the good fortune to be holidaying in Turkey during the world cup; fans of the beautiful game will be relieved to hear that their enthusiasm is shared by most Turks, so rest assured you won’t have to travel to far to find superb coverage of the event.

Source: Skyscanner