Welcome to our pick of last week’s news from Fethiye and around Turkey.
Curated from various news sources.
NEWS
Fethiye Awarded 13 Blue Flag Beaches and 5 Marinas for 2026
FETHIYE, MUĞLA – Fethiye has once again demonstrated its commitment to clean beaches, safe marinas and sustainable tourism after 13 beaches and five marinas were awarded the prestigious Blue Flag for 2026.
Following inspections carried out under the 2026 Blue Flag Programme, the district successfully met the strict international environmental, safety and water quality standards required to receive the internationally recognised award.
The 13 beaches and five marinas were found to have fully complied with the programme’s criteria, reflecting Fethiye’s continued focus on protecting its natural environment while providing high-quality facilities for both residents and visitors.
The achievement reinforces Fethiye’s reputation as one of Turkey’s leading coastal destinations, recognised for its clean seas, well-managed beaches and environmentally responsible approach to tourism.
The Blue Flag is an internationally recognised eco-label awarded to beaches and marinas that meet stringent standards for water quality, environmental management, safety and environmental education. Receiving the award highlights Fethiye’s ongoing commitment to maintaining high standards and promoting sustainable tourism.
Sources: Fethiye Beledeyisi/FethiyeTV
Renovated Animal Shelter Invites Visitors to Give Rescue Animals a Forever Home
FETHIYE, MUĞLA – Fethiye Municipality is encouraging animal lovers to visit its newly renovated Animal Shelter, where rescue dogs and cats are waiting to find loving, permanent homes.
The shelter has recently undergone a complete refurbishment to provide a safer, more comfortable environment for the animals in its care. Municipal officials are inviting members of the public to visit during designated opening hours to meet the animals and consider giving one of them a warm and secure home.
Residents can also browse the animals currently available for adoption through the municipality’s official website, making it easier for prospective owners to find a suitable companion before visiting the shelter.
The municipality continues to promote responsible pet ownership and hopes the improved facilities will encourage more successful adoptions, helping rescue animals begin a new chapter with caring families.
Source: Fethiye Belediyesi
Ölüdeniz Merchants Hope July Brings Boost to Slow Tourism Season
FETHIYE, MUĞLA – Business owners in Fethiye’s world-famous resort of Ölüdeniz are hoping that the start of the school summer holidays will bring a much-needed boost to what has so far been a quieter-than-expected tourism season.
Having prepared for a busy summer, many local merchants say visitor numbers and tourist spending have fallen short of last year’s levels. While they remain optimistic that July will bring increased activity, they believe the perception that Turkey has become an expensive destination is affecting visitor confidence and reducing spending.
Aydın, a travel agency sales consultant who has worked in Ölüdeniz’s tourism sector for around 15 years, also described the season as slower than expected. He said there has been a noticeable decline in both tourist numbers and spending, with many visitors appearing reluctant to book activities because they perceive prices to be high.
Despite the quieter start, paragliding continues to be the resort’s most popular attraction. Tandem flights, including photo and video packages, currently cost around 5,000 Turkish lira, while boat tours start from approximately 1,000 lira. Jeep safari excursions, priced between 700 and 800 lira, remain among the most affordable activities available in the area.
Aydın also suggested that the widespread use of all-inclusive hotel packages is reducing the amount tourists spend with local businesses, as many visitors choose to remain within their hotels rather than pay for food, drinks and activities elsewhere.
Despite the subdued start to the summer, businesses across Ölüdeniz remain hopeful that increased visitor numbers during July and August will help make up for the slower beginning to the season and deliver a stronger second half of the year.
Source: https://www.fethiyetv.com/oludeniz-esnafi-umudunu-temmuz-ayina-bagladi
Road Renewal Work Continues at Fethiye Wholesale Market
FETHIYE, MUĞLA – Road improvement works are continuing at the Wholesale Market Complex in Fethiye’s Karaçulha neighbourhood as part of Muğla Metropolitan Municipality’s efforts to modernise the area’s transport infrastructure.
The project, being carried out by the Metropolitan Municipality’s Department of Science Affairs, is renewing the internal road network serving the wholesale market while upgrading the surrounding infrastructure to improve safety and accessibility.
Work on Hal Avenue, the main access road to the market, has seen the completion of the plant-mix base and the first layer of hot-mix asphalt. Crews are now laying the second asphalt layer and constructing new pavements, while stormwater drainage grates are also being installed as part of the scheme.
Once completed, the project is expected to provide a safer, more comfortable and longer-lasting road network for traders, suppliers and visitors using the market.
Local trader Taner Köse welcomed the investment, noting that the previous road had been in poor condition and had remained largely unchanged for around 20 years. He said the completed project would improve access to the market while eliminating the dust and mud that businesses had endured for many years.
Ahmet Aras, Mayor of Muğla Metropolitan Municipality and President of the Union of Coastal Municipalities, said the authority remains committed to improving transport infrastructure throughout the province.
He said the wholesale market project is intended to provide safer and more comfortable transport for both traders and the public, adding that the municipality has completed roadworks covering 628.87 kilometres across Muğla to date. He said investments would continue in both urban centres and rural neighbourhoods to improve infrastructure and enhance residents’ quality of life.
Source: https://www.fethiyetv.com/fethiye-toptanci-hal-bolgesinde-yollar-yenileniyor
Fines Introduced for Boats Playing Music in Restricted Waters Around Fethiye
FETHIYE, MUĞLA – Boat owners and operators in Fethiye are being warned that playing music in designated restricted maritime zones is prohibited, with those who breach the rules facing an administrative fine of 839,018 TL.
The restrictions have been introduced under a decision of the Muğla Governorship’s Provincial Local Environment Board (MÇK), adopted on 29 January 2025 (Decision No. 234), to regulate noise levels in specified coastal waters.
Under the regulations, boats are not permitted to play music while operating within the maritime areas identified as restricted zones on official maps issued by the authorities. Music may only be played outside these designated boundaries.
Authorities have announced that boat owners and operators who fail to comply with the regulations will be subject to an administrative penalty of 839,018 TL.
Officials have urged owners of private vessels and daily excursion boats to familiarise themselves with the restricted areas and ensure that music is played only in locations where it is permitted, in order to avoid penalties and help protect the tranquillity of Fethiye’s coastal environment.
Source: https://www.fethiyetv.com/fethiyede-yasak-bolgeler-belirlendi-kurala-uymayana-839-bin-tl-ceza
Sümela Monastery Welcomes Visitors After Latest Conservation Work
MAÇKA, TRABZON – The historic Sümela Monastery, perched high on a cliff overlooking the Altındere Valley in the Maçka district of Trabzon, continues to attract large numbers of domestic and international visitors following the completion of its latest conservation work.
Also known as the Monastery of the Virgin Mary, the centuries-old landmark was closed to visitors in September 2015 because of the risk of falling rocks. A comprehensive restoration programme, led by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, began in February 2016 and included geological and geotechnical studies, landscaping, and extensive reinforcement of the surrounding rock formations.
The monastery reopened to the public in stages as restoration progressed. Visitors were able to access the area up to the courtyard from May 2019, while around 65 per cent of the complex reopened in July 2020. The inner courtyard became accessible in July 2021.
The site was temporarily closed again in November 2021 after further rockfall risks were identified. During the closure, specialist teams stabilised hazardous rock faces using steel cables and installed protective rockfall barriers before the monastery reopened in May 2022.
Included on UNESCO’s Tentative World Heritage List since 2000, Sümela Monastery has become one of the Black Sea region’s most important cultural and tourism attractions.
Visitor numbers have continued to rise in recent years, increasing from 154,000 in 2021 to a record 515,000 in 2025. Between January and May 2026, the monastery welcomed a further 128,000 visitors, taking the total number of visitors since reopening to more than two million.
The most recent conservation work was carried out between 8 and 16 June 2026 in line with scientific assessments and decisions by conservation authorities. Specialist climbing teams cleaned rock surfaces, repaired sections of the walking paths and roof coverings, and restored deteriorated stonework along the monastery’s historic aqueducts.
Following the completion of the maintenance programme, the monastery has once again reopened to visitors, continuing its role as one of Turkey’s most iconic historical and cultural landmarks.
Source: Daily Sabah
Historic Kırkpınar Oil Wrestling Tournament Gets Underway in Edirne
EDIRNE – The 665th Historic Kırkpınar Oil Wrestling Tournament, one of the world’s oldest continuously held sporting events, has officially begun in Edirne, with hundreds of wrestlers competing for one of Turkey’s most prestigious sporting titles.
A total of 840 wrestlers, including 40 başpehlivans (chief wrestlers), are taking part in this year’s tournament at the Sarayiçi Er Meydanı arena. Competitors will contest 14 categories, ranging from youth divisions to the elite chief wrestling championship.
The tournament opened on the evening of 3 July with a traditional ceremony that saw defending champion Orhan Okulu raise the Turkish flag before protocol speeches and the customary parade of wrestlers.
Qualifying matches for the chief wrestling competition are scheduled for 4 July, with eight wrestlers progressing to complete the round of 32. The first-round bouts will take place later the same day, while the quarter-finals, semi-finals and final are set for 5 July, when the tournament will conclude with the closing ceremony and the annual patronage auction.
Tickets for the tournament are priced between 1,400 and 2,600 Turkish lira, while spectators were able to attend the opening day’s competitions free of charge.
This year’s event also carries added significance in the race for the coveted golden belt. Although no wrestler can claim permanent ownership under the traditional rule of winning three consecutive championships, revised competition regulations now allow permanent possession of the belt after a wrestler wins five career Kırkpınar titles.
Recognised by UNESCO as part of humanity’s intangible cultural heritage, Kırkpınar is regarded as far more than a sporting competition. Before entering the arena, wrestlers wear traditional leather trousers known as kispet and cover themselves in olive oil before taking part in a ceremonial procession. Victory is achieved by forcing an opponent’s back to the ground.
Edirne Provincial Director of Culture and Tourism Kemal Soytürk described Kırkpınar as one of the city’s strongest cultural and tourism brands, saying the centuries-old festival preserves the values of courage, fairness, discipline and respect associated with the traditional pehlivan wrestling culture.
He also highlighted the tournament’s importance to the local economy, noting that the annual event attracts thousands of visitors and provides a significant boost to Edirne’s tourism sector through increased demand for accommodation, restaurants and local businesses.
Source: Hürriyet Daily News
SPORT
Thank you to Brian Lloyd for the Fethiyespor update.
Fethiyespor Nears Completion of Summer Transfer Business
FETHIYE, MUĞLA – Fethiyespor has moved a step closer to completing its squad for the new season after announcing four new signings this week, with club officials confirming that around 95 per cent of the summer transfer business has now been completed.he squad with a series of experienced signings.
Speaking about the club’s preparations for the new campaign, Fethiyespor Professional Football Branch Official Uğur Keskin said the club has undergone a restructuring following several challenging seasons and believes the foundations are now in place to compete for promotion.
Keskin acknowledged that the club had fallen short of its play-off ambitions over the past three to four seasons, attributing much of the difficulty to the financial burden of historical debts. He said the club has now entered a new phase and aims to reward supporters with a competitive team capable of challenging at the top of the table.
Among the club’s first moves was securing captain Şahan Akyüz on a new two-year contract, alongside defender Kerem Pala, who also agreed a two-year extension after impressing last season.
Fethiyespor has since strengthened several key areas of the squad with the arrivals of defender Fatih Kurucuk, right-back İsmail Erdoğan, midfielder Eren Erdoğan, and former İskenderunspor players Deniz Erdoğan and Enes Şahin.
Keskin also confirmed that midfielder Muhammet Akarslan and winger Eray Karataş are set to join the club once the remaining paperwork has been completed. A young left-back is also expected to be signed to comply with new Turkish Football Federation regulations requiring clubs to include six players born in 2004 or later in their 21-man matchday squad.
With only one more signing expected, Keskin said the club considers its transfer work almost complete. While describing the squad as strong on paper, he stressed that success would ultimately be determined on the pitch and called on supporters to unite behind the team throughout the season.
Keskin also reaffirmed the club’s commitment to its youth academy, highlighting continued investment in player development despite financial pressures. He thanked Esnaf Hospital for its ongoing sponsorship, noting that part of the agreement is specifically allocated to supporting the academy and helping develop the next generation of Fethiyespor players.
Fethiyespor will now turn its focus to pre-season preparations as the club looks to build momentum ahead of what it hopes will be a successful promotion campaign.
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Turkish Lira (TL) exchange rates
The British Pound bought 62.45 TL by the close of business on Friday. The week before it was selling for 61.45 TL.
The US Dollar bought 46.76 TL by the close of business on Friday. The week before it was selling for 46.55 TL.
The Euro bought 53.31 TL by the close of business on Friday. The week before it was selling for 53.50 TL.
Source: exchangerates.org.uk
Weather Forecast
Here’s your weather forecast for the week ahead.
Source: Living Earth
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