Marine Turtle Newsletter 49:26, © 1990
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Marine Turtle Newsletter 49:26, © 1990
The conservation group MEDASSET has received a petition signed by every householder in the village of Patara, on the SE Mediterranean coast of Turkey, requesting immediate assistance from the people of Britain to stop uncontrolled tourist development which is destroying one of the remaining key loggerhead turtle nesting beaches of Mediterranean Turkey, a vast archaeological site of global importance and a strategic wetland ecosystem. WWF identifies Patara's 18 km long beach as one of the 17 major nesting sites of the loggerhead turtle in Turkey. Adjacent to the beach is an even more important archaeological site. Dating from 7000 B.C., the adjacent city has been a center of at least four of the great civilizations, the birthplace of St. Nicholas (Santa Claus) and mythological birthplace of the God Apollo. The site is described by Isik, a prominent Turkish archaeologist, as the "Ephesus of the future". The wetland is the breeding ground for many species of bird. All are being destroyed before they have been properly assessed. Already a 7-story hotel is being built on the beach. The petition, signed by every one of the 43 householders of the village and 2500 tourists who visited Patara last year, appeals for pressure to be put on the Turkish government and developers to stop the anarchic form of building. Most of the tourists who visit Patara and the tour companies are British. British people, conservationists, archaeologists and environmentalists must join forces with the villagers to preserve the ecological and cultural value of this unique place. For further information, contact Lily Veniselos, 24 Park Towers, 2 Brick Street, London W1Y 7DF U. K.