Eco-village in eye of political storm
DONKEYS, baby chicks and rabbits delighted youngsters at the ninth Büyükkonuk Donkey Day on Sunday — but an online furore over mayor Ahmet Sennaroğlu’s support for nationalist demonstrators has turned the country’s first “eco village” into a political football.
Despite calls for a boycott of the event — due to the mayor and council workers’ participation in a violent demonstration against Afrika newspaper’s coverage of Turkey’s military action in Syria — expats and busloads of tourists turned up to celebrate village life and pet farm animals.
However hundreds of Turkish Cypriots endorsed the boycott after Mr Sennaroğlu sent three municipal workers to lay black wreaths at the Presidency in protest at the arrest of six alleged demonstrators. They were detained after President Mustafa Akıncı had insisted that police follow up the Afrika attack and the invasion of Parliament’s roof.
No stranger to controversy over his political views, Mr Sennaroğlu had cancelled a planned May 2016 Eco-Day Festival during mourning for the victims of terrorist attacks in Turkey.
He also suggested this week that this year’s first Eco-Day festival, planned for Sunday, May 6, be postponed until after municipal elections in June — a move opposed by the village’s Eco-tourism Association organisers due to higher summer temperatures.
The Büyükkonuk Eco-tourism Association gained EU funding for the village and official “eco village” status. The village also profited from Turkey’s funding of the North Coast Road and upgrading of the municipality-run Pine View Holiday Village.
Calls continued this week for a boycott of the Eco-Day Festival, with one Lefkoşa traditional craftsman declaring he would not take part.
But local stallholder Nural Sevindik commented: “It’s not right to burn the whole village for the sake of a couple of people. Villagers did not go to the demonstration, just a few council workers. I don’t approve of it and it was wrong to lay black wreaths at the Presidency.”
Another, Reyhan Eryurt, added: “We housewives rely on the Eco-Day Festivals to sell our produce. We don’t approve of Afrika newspaper and we did not know what was being done. It was wrong and now we have to pay the price.”
Dev-İş union trades union federation leader Koral Aşam said this week the municipality personnel, all members of his union, had merely done what the mayor told them, but did not endorse the action.
Mr Sennaroğlu could not be contacted and municipality director Hasan Evren declined to comment.
Eco-Tourism Association founder-member Lois Cemal said of Sunday’s event: “Local visitor numbers were less than usual but still enough for a great day. Our two donkeys worked a full day ferrying youngsters up and down the street.
“The rabbits were a great success and many happy kids took a new pet home with them. One lucky lady won the live cockerel at the raffle and said she would make a good soup!”
Local women sold home-made bread and jams, olive oil and traditional food, drink and crafts after taking a midday break to sing in their new choir, before a folk dancing show with traditional music.