Campaigners protest, enter Acapulco resort free of charge
CAMPAIGNERS for free beach access unfurled a banner demanding compliance with the law after descending on the sands at Çatalköy’s Acapulco resort on Sunday.
The group entered the beach without paying after declaring they would not use its private facilities, then read out a statement reiterating the public’s right to access the coast for free under the 1985 TRNC Constitution and 1993 legislation and handed copies of the provisions to hotel staff.
The action follows court action against Acapulco and Çatalköy Municipality by lawyers and free beach campaigners Özgü Özkul Özyiğit and Ahmet Said Sayın after they were refused free entry to the hotel beach on May 15, 2014.
The Constitutional Court was asked by hotel lawyers for a “clarification” on the “rights of private property owners”, and in June 2017 reaffirmed that “owners of hotels and other private businesses have no right to prevent the public from freely accessing beaches” — a ruling hailed as a “huge success” by campaigners.
The Supreme Court ruled in April last year that local authorities should ensure hotels and other business do not violate the Constitution by demanding fees for access to the beach, though they may charge for the use of amenities they provide, such as sunbeds, showers and changing rooms.
That intervention came after cases brought against Çatalköy’s Cratos Premium Hotel and managers of the Escape, Kervansaray and Denizkızı facilities as part of a Free Beaches Belong to the Public campaign.