Alanya's Future: Development Prospects in the Modern World
Alanya's future is an important issue for residents as well as tourists and investors. This coastal town is a natural wonder that has rightly been positively influenced by the international tourism movements that developed after the last quarter of the 20th century. The climatic conditions in the mountains around Alanya and the region near the sea have led to developments in tourism parallel to agriculture. The climate in Alanya allows the establishment of tourism companies that operate all year round. For this reason, this small Anatolian town has survived to this day as a rapidly growing city.
What awaits Alanya in the future, which is now even being talked about in the world?
What awaits Alanya in the future, which stands on the border of past mistakes and truths? These are big questions. Perhaps books can be written to answer these questions. However, we will try to summarize it in one article. Your ideas and expectations of the places where you live will also help our article. Alanya has a management status that foreigners are not aware of but are surprised to learn. Alanya is not a city, but a district of the city of Antalya. In other words, Alanya is one of the 19 districts of Antalya city in 2023 in Turkey with a population of up to 500,000 people in winter and 2,000,000 people in summer. In other words, it has the same administrative status as another district with a population of around 10,000 people. Although this situation is not very interesting for those who stay in Alanya for a short time, it has some negative aspects for those who live in Alanya for a long time.
What negative aspects does Alanya's remaining as a district bring with it?
Alanya is about 130 km from Antalya and is also part of it administratively. It takes two hours to travel this road with two vehicles. Some services that the municipality provides from such a distant center pose difficulties. Even if the maintenance of roads, city buses and transport, water and sewage facilities are not disrupted, from the perspective of growth and development the centers always act as a magnet and investments and services lose their impact as the orbit grows. For example, consulates and related passport procedures can be carried out from the Antalya Center. The general directorates of the relevant ministries, which are closely linked to trade and social life, are always located in the center of Antalya. All of this brings personnel and population with it. When necessary, this population creates a range of alternatives for the city's social and commercial life and enlivens city life. In recent years, serious efforts have continued to make Alanya a province, both by the region's deputies and the press, reflecting the voice of the people. Although there are many settlements with the same demand in Turkey, everyone knows that Alanya is the first place that deserves to be a province, both in terms of geographical location and population. Of course, when the work is completed, Alanya will become a province. Once this happens, Alanya's current structure will remain nostalgic.
What changes will occur in a short time if Alanya becomes a province?
The first thing that will change when Alanya becomes a province is the new city plan. It includes Avsallar in the west and Gazipaşa in the east and will be a direct metropolitan municipality rather than a regular province. For a province to be considered a metropolis, it must have 750,000 or more inhabitants. 30 of Turkey's 81 provinces currently belong to the metropolitan area. “Metropolitan” is not just a word, but is also very different from other cities in terms of administration. While in normal cities each housing unit is subject to separate and independent administration, in metropolises many services, especially important tasks such as infrastructure, transportation and health throughout the city, are carried out by the upper administrative municipality called the Metropolitan Municipality. Local county and city municipalities regulate real estate and jobs that affect people's daily lives. This system; is a really well-functioning parallel division of labor that has so far met with little criticism in Turkey. In short, if Alanya becomes a province, it will also have the population capacity to become a metropolis.
Will the population increase if Alanya becomes a province?
Yes, the population in Alanya will at least double. Although it is a province, the provincial directorates of many official institutions and large companies, global brands, and the shopping malls that house them, as well as the provincial dealers of major car brands, will add color to the city, and the newly appointed staff will be effective in the increase in population due to the rise of military and police structures to the provincial level. In addition, due to this increase and attraction, there will also be immigration, which is closely linked to free trade life.
Is the increase in population in Alanya a good thing?
Population increases in Alanya so that each settlement grows and develops; When it comes to shrinking and disappearing; It is undesirable. For Alanya, growth in harmony with human nature is a desirable thing as it will lead to economic development. However, growth should occur within orderly and livable boundaries and not in the form of unplanned urbanization and the formation of ghettos. These conditions already exist in Alanya. Alanya is currently not having an easy time as a tourist destination. Security and peace have always been a priority.
Which regions will see growth if Alanya becomes a province? How does it affect property prices?
If Alanya becomes a province, the fastest development will take place, especially in the Gazipasa, Yesilöz, Demirtas, Kargıcak, Konaklı, Payallar and Avsallar regions. These regions are becoming attractive for investments.
What influence do the transport conditions have on Alanya's vision?
Regardless of whether Alanya is a province or not, transportation is very important. In this context, the Ministry of Transport of the Republic of Turkey is doing very important work. As an alternative to opening the road to Konya and Central Anatolia via Manavgat, the existing Alanya-Tashkent road, a large part of which has been shortened by tunnels and viaducts and many sections have been converted into a divided road, connects Alanya with Central Anatolia (Konya, Ankara, Karaman, Cappadocia) . It shows a great development towards a second main street. Gazipasa Airport opened in 2014. However, given the current situation, sometimes it is not enough to meet the region's needs. Because from Anamur to Alanya there is a very large passenger capacity. Although it continues to serve well, it urgently needs to be expanded. Once completed, the 122 km long Antalya-Alanya Highway, based on the build-operate-transfer model, will be connected to the 37 km long Antalya North Road, starting from Dösemealtı, the western entrance of Antalya, and then to the center of Antalya make a big contribution to the region's traffic. Signatures for this project have been signed with the companies and the construction process has already begun.
Does Alanya have international transport connections?
Alanya's international transport links include Gazipasa Airport (30 minutes away) and Antalya Airport (2 hours away).The road works will halve these distances to the airports and ensure transport within the urban distance between these two international airports, which reach all over the world. It should also be said that the opening of the new highways that I mentioned will be a great relief in the next ten years for the residents of Alanya, a city with a clear vision, although it is currently sufficient in this area. In addition, it is expected that the resumption of direct sea voyages between Alanya and Cyprus will be on the agenda very soon. The distance between the port of Kyrenia on the island of Cyprus and Alanya is approximately 100 nautical miles. Under normal conditions, a sea bus can cover this route in 6 hours. If you need information, there are also direct flights from Antalya to Cyprus. In addition, there are regular daily ferries and sea buses from Tasucu Port in Mersin.
With this information, is it right to invest in Alanya?
Investing in Alanya: In many parts of the world, technological developments bring with them social amenities. However, in some places, this happens quickly and in others very slowly. The reason for this is to be a center of attraction. We have a saying. “Geography is destiny.” The geography of Alanya continues to be a highly valued attraction. In this context, the question can be answered quite easily. Yes, you can definitely invest in Alanya.
