We welcome back our popular Monday round up of the local news after a week’s break.

English Friends Perform

On Saturday 3rd July the ‘English Friends’ (Ingiliz Yarenler) group, comprised of 5 older British residents of Ovacık, sang and danced as part of the Ölüdeniz Festival and were a huge success.

They now perform the Turkish national anthem, in English and Turkish, and it has become the highlight of their show.

We’ll let you know when they are next performing locally – make the effort and go to watch.

Alternative Tour of Turkey

And this week an older Turk also hit the local news when 65-year-old Şaban Çancı who lives in Antalya, arrived in Fethiye as part of his latest long distance cycling trip.

He cycled around the coast from Antalya and is now reported to be ‘resting’ in Fethiye before he continues west along the Aegean coast.

Fleeced by an Act of God

Last month Kudret Hıra, a sheep farmer who lives near Kemer, took his 80 sheep up the mountain to better pasture.

En route a thunder storm started, lightning struck the flock, and 50 sheep were killed. Kudret bey immediately called out a vet who took photos at the scene documenting the incident.

Kudret then appealed to the Kaymakam in Fethiye for a government grant to replace his dead sheep.

The grant was refused as officials said he still has 30 sheep and can build up another, larger flock from them.

Kudret was not happy with this decision and told the press

“Do my remaining 30 sheep have to die before they will help me?”

Watch this space for a report of more dead sheep near Kemer.

Cleaner Seas Campaign Gathers Pace

As part of the general aim of a cleaner Fethiye, work will soon begin on waste disposal tanks to be sited along the Kordon and used by all the day and dive boats that tie up there.

They will be able to pump their waste into the on-shore tanks rather than emptying the boat’s waste tank while out at sea.

The work is being jointly undertaken by Fethiye Council and several local environmental groups.

Hopefully this will result in cleaner seas for wildlife and swimmers.