Cyprus Today, February 25-March 3, 2006
NEW complaints surfaced this week in Girne’s historic harbour, with owners of yachts moored there protesting that harbourside sprawl is blocking their access.
Boat owners complained that the conditions were cramped and mooring fees were high, while harbourside cafes' tables and chairs made it difficult to reach their vessels.
They also condemned the au¬thorities for allowing the con¬traction of new jetties close to die ancient chain tower, which they said spoiled the "historical fibre" of the picturesque marina — an issue highlighted by Cyprus Today last week.
Speaking on behalf of the boat owners, many of whom are licensed to use their vessels to operate day trips, Hilmi Ustun — the head of the Yacht Owners' Union known as “Metin Kaptan” — pointed out that his members were properly registered and paid their mooring fees to the Evkaf authority which has the leasehold on the harbour.
Girne Mayor Sumer Aygin admitted there was long-standing "disorder"7 in the harbour, and said the moorings were getting increasingly crowded because harbourside bar and cafe owners had now also started to dock boat in the marina.
Mr. Aygin again drew attention to the problem highlighted in last week's report, that several different authorities — including the municipality, Evkaf, the Harbours Department and Ancient Monuments and Museums Department — had a stake in running the marina.
He said Girne Municipality was trying to play its part in dealing with the problems within its jurisdiction. Erhan Soykut, of Evkaf, said his authority was aware of the problems, and un¬derlined the apparent chaos by saying that Evkaf was not the authority issuing permits for boats to moor in the historic harbour. He said the over¬crowding had been brought to the attention of the Public Works and Transport Ministry at a meeting last year, and as a result no new mooring permits had been granted for some nine months.
Mr. Soykut, referring to the controversial jetties erected by a harbour restaurateur arid highlighted in Cyprus Today, said Evkaf had allowed the building to go ahead simply in order to create enough space for yachts already given mooring rights. However, he said, if the Public Works and Transport Ministry were to put in the in¬vestment to build a wharf which would not spoil the historic character of the harbour and would also put an end to the space problems, Evkaf would be prepared to order the demolition of the offending jetties. |
