Governor says 1,732-car garage aims to 'preserve nature' in Turkey's Rize

Duvar English

A mass parking garage that can host 1,732 vehicles is being built in the Black Sea's Ayder Plain in a construction project by the state that aims to open the area up to visitors, and the governor said that the gigantic construct aimed to protect nature in the area. 

The parking garage is 15-percent complete and is supposed to host visitors as they park their cars and walk up to a "viewing terrace" also being built. 

The parking garage is designed to be built inside the mountain cliff that the plain is located on top of, Rize Governor Kemal Çeber said, adding that it will then be covered with fake grass to match the surroundings. 

"Our main goal while transforming Ayder is to preserve nature," the governor ironically said about the project, perfectly embodying the ruling Justice and Development Party's (AKP) approach to construction.

Turkey's construction industry grew immensely under the AKP, although the government often come under fire for nepotism as pro-government companies often receive extravagant state tenders in Turkey.

The AKP also disregards environmental preservation in construction policies, often allowing zoning and tenders to be created despite the threat of mass natural destruction.

"We also want to ensure the security of local businesses. So we focused on the plain's biggest issues: parking," the governor said. "You're really able to enjoy the beauty of the plain once you get out of your car in the parking garage."

A 100-year-old spa and hotel were demolished to build the parking garage and terrace, the likes of which also threaten Turkey's Salda Lake, often dubbed "Turkey's Maldives" that became the site of a state-built "people's garden."

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