Antalya, Turkey – Minister of Culture and Tourism Mehmet Nuri Ersoy has addressed recent allegations regarding a new hotel project planned for a 58,000-square-meter plot in Antalya’s Aksu district, Kundu neighborhood.
The project, which first came to public attention through Turizm Ekonomi, has drawn criticism from CHP (Main opposition party of Türkiye) Member of Parliament Oğuz Kaan Salıcı. In a statement titled "Our Hero Once Again: Mehmet Nuri Ersoy," Salıcı accused the minister of allocating treasury land to his own company for personal gain. He alleged that Ersoy planned to construct a five-star hotel on the property for 4.7 billion lira ($130 million) and made the following claims:
"This treasury land, equivalent to the size of eight football fields, falls within the Culture and Tourism Protection and Development Zone, giving the Ministry of Culture and Tourism full authority over its use. The minister did not hesitate to exploit this authority for his own company’s benefit. What did he do?
The Ministry’s Land Allocation Commission allocated the land to Minister Ersoy’s company. Furthermore, despite being annulled by court rulings 23 times previously, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism approved an urban development plan in favor of the project. Additionally, an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) exemption was granted.
Moreover, the head of the Ministry’s Land Allocation Department is affiliated with the General Directorate of Investments and Enterprises, whose director, Neşe Çıldık, is a former employee of ETS, a company owned by the minister. This means a bureaucrat with ties to ETS signed off on both the land allocation and the development plan. The entire process has been orchestrated under the umbrella of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism.
Minister Ersoy, do these facts and evidence not make you reconsider? You have prioritized your company and your family’s businesses over the interests of this country."
Minister Ersoy’s response to the allegations
Responding to Salıcı’s accusations, Minister Mehmet Nuri Ersoy stated that the claims were baseless and did not reflect reality. He clarified that the land in question had been allocated in 1997, explaining:
"At that time, the land was assigned by the General Directorate of Forestry, then under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, to two companies—Aksu Enternasyonel Otelcilik ve Turizm A.Ş. and Kundu Enternasyonel Otelcilik ve Turizm A.Ş. In 2003, the allocation was transferred to Mapa İnşaat ve Ticaret A.Ş. In the following years, this allocation underwent approval for merging and separation processes by the General Directorate of Forestry.
Most recently, upon the company’s request, the previously merged allocations were separated once again. On February 20, 2024, the allocation for parcel 13551/139 was transferred to NMM Otelcilik Organizasyon Ticaret A.Ş., which shares the same ownership structure as Adalı Otelcilik Turizm Organizasyon Ticaret A.Ş. Similarly, the allocation for parcel 13551/140 was transferred to Nebula Otelcilik Organizasyon Ticaret A.Ş."
Minister Ersoy further explained that the shares of Nebula Otelcilik Organizasyon Ticaret A.Ş. were transferred to ETS Ersoy Turistik Servisleri A.Ş. (his own company) on January 22, 2025.
Refuting claims regarding environmental impact assessments, Ersoy stated:
"Oğuz Kaan Salıcı’s assertion that an EIA exemption was granted is also incorrect. According to existing regulations, EIA reports are not required for facilities with 250 rooms or fewer. The proposed project consists of 240 rooms, meaning an EIA report is not necessary."
Regarding allegations about zoning plans, Ersoy said:
"The claims regarding the urban development plan are also unfounded. The Implementation Zoning Plan for the area was approved on February 16, 2022, and remains in effect. Additionally, the zoning plan amendment approved by the Culture and Tourism Ministry’s Land Allocation Commission on December 23, 2024, was made to address implementation-related issues concerning five parcels within the zoning island."
