Marmaris gears up for Holiday Season
Friday, 30th April 2010
Tourism is a major source of income for Marmaris, and authorities are determined holidaymakers can have a good time,and leave Marmaris with memories of a great holiday.
Marmaris Police Chief Yaşar Turan Çebi called a meeting with bar owners, and announced rules to be followed. He said that police do not have a magic wand to maintain security in the town and the locals should help the police. “Marmaris is a window to the world and you all make a living thanks to the tourists,” Çebi told the restaurant and bar owners. “A disturbance in the public order, especially if the victim is a tourist, will put all of us in trouble. We, as the police, will do our part, but it is not enough. You should all be very careful in your establishments.”
Çebi said the town would have a trouble-free tourism season if the restaurant and bar owners follow the rules and cooperated with the police. “The rules we’ve given you are not strict orders,” he said. “These are the rules to follow to make the Barlar Street a secure and peaceful place. If you have any trouble with the police officers working on your street, I will give you my cellular phone number and you can contact me any time.”
After the meeting, Çebi explained the 12 rules the police want owners to follow. The bar and restaurant owners said they would follow the rules and agreed to have an evaluation meeting in the first week of every month.
The New Rules are:
1. Visible camera systems will be established to objectively evaluate possible crimes (theft, pocket picking, brawl, etc.) inside the bars.
2. The security personnel in the bars will not interfere with the people they suspect but would instead inform police.
3. The bar owners would officially declare the identities of all the staff working in their establishments.
4. The music inside the bars would not be louder than the legal level.
5. The customers would not be allowed to drink anymore if they get drunk. The security personnel would keep an eye on drunken customers and not let them get harmed.
6. The personnel at the doors would be careful about their dress.
7. The bars would not use “hanutçu,” the Turkish term for people who hector visitors to shop or eat at their establishments.
8. The police officers on the Barlar Street and the security personnel of the bars would coordinate efforts during the tourism season.
9. The wiring of the bars and restaurants would be constantly checked for potential fire hazards and more than one fire extinguisher would be kept visible.
10. The personnel would not intervene with the customers suspected of using drugs in the toilets and inform police officers on patrol instead.
11. The establishments would not let in more people than their capacity. The bars and restaurants that are full would close their doors and let in customers when there was available space.
12. All the security personnel at the establishments would have their legal certificates.
These all appear to be very sensible rules. Everyone gains from tourism in Marmaris, so book your Marmaris Hotels and have a good time.
