Esentepe facility to open in 2020
ESENTEPE is to have a new beachside recreation facility, which is due to be finished next year and will be open to the public in an agreement between Baştaşlar Construction and mayor Cemal Erdoğan.
The Cove, a £1.5 million project, includes restaurants, pools, a hotel and holiday homes on land owned by the developer alongside the development of the municipality-owned beach.
The project was approved by government seven months ago after local landowner and developer Ahmet Baştaş was granted a five-year lease by the municipality on beachfront land adjacent to his new development and opposite the Khoti islet.
Mr Erdoğan said: “We need income for our municipality and facilities for our villagers but since we cannot do it alone, we have agreed a 30 year buildoperate-transfer [BOT] lease with Baştaşlar so that the beach will revert to us eventually.
“The pebble beach will be turned to sand with a stone pier for a small harbour, a sea platform and other facilities and an amphitheatre facing stage and sea.
“There are no marine turtle nests on the beach, but if there were we would protect and promote them.”
He added: “We have lots of plans for festivals and sports and I would be happy to launch a festival for turtles too.”
However marine turtle researcher Robin Snape commented: “I have nothing positive to say about it and we are checking our monk seal inventory as there are caves in the vicinity.”
Mr Baştaş and the mayor shared details of the project after it came under fire for alleged “illegality” in the press this week.
The developer, en route to Sweden, told Cyprus Today: “A rival developer has stirred things up, claiming that we have been given deeds to the beachfront land which is illegal.
“In fact, we have a BOT lease and all legal permissions, the documents for which we shared with the press as we have nothing to hide. I am not happy that the press has targeted what is a very nice project which will be open to the public.”
Mr Erdoğan added on Thursday: “I am on the beach today supervising works and intend to hold a meeting with the two developers to stop a pressfuelled ‘cold war’.
“The project is in the public interest and we will sort it out.”
The Cove scheme includes 75 luxury apartments and bungalows 50 metres from the beach with private and communal pools, a restaurant, bar and amphitheatre. It features paddle tennis, water sports, an organic garden, small gym, standby generator and waste water treatment plant.