11.09.2025 21:00
The claim that Antalya Castle has been put up for sale by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism has caused an uproar in the public. The Directorate of Communications, which denied the claim reported by some media outlets, stated, "The area in question has been functioning as a lodging facility for 20 years. A new allocation announcement has been made due to the expiration of the area’s allocation period."
Claims reported by some media outlets regarding the construction of hotels on forested areas turned to ashes in the fires and the sale of Antalya Castle have caused an uproar.
STATEMENT FROM THE COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTORATE
The Communications Directorate's Disinformation Combat Center published a striking statement on its X account, denying the claims in question. The statement included the following expressions: "The claims found in some media outlets and social media platforms, such as 'Forests are being opened for construction! The fires are over, now it's time for hotels!' and 'The government has put Antalya Castle up for sale' do not reflect the truth. The areas allocated for tourism investments by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism are public properties that have lost their forest status, and the opening of burned forest areas for construction is absolutely out of the question. According to Article 169 of the Constitution, 'new forests will be grown in place of burned forests,' and according to the Forest Law No. 6831, it is not possible to remove burned areas from forest boundaries.
"THE CLAIM THAT THE HISTORICAL CASTLE TOWER HAS BEEN PUT UP FOR SALE IS NOT TRUE"
Additionally, the claims that the historical castle tower located in Antalya Kaleiçi has been put up for sale are also not true. In areas containing cultural assets, it is not possible to allow any construction or sale without the approval of the protection boards. The allocations made are carried out within the framework of the principles of protecting cultural heritage, sustainable tourism, and public interest. All these processes are implemented under the supervision of the relevant institutions within the framework of planned tourism policies.
"A NEW ALLOCATION ANNOUNCEMENT HAS BEEN MADE"
The area in question has been functioning as an accommodation facility for 20 years. A new allocation announcement has been made due to the expiration of the allocation period of the area. There is no question of putting a new area up for allocation or selling the walls. It is strongly requested that the public pays attention to official statements and does not give credence to shares containing disinformation."