GÜMÜŞLÜK: A Sailor's Paradise on Bodrum Peninsula

Dear readers, from now on we would like to share with you our observations, visuals and snapshots from life at regular intervals from different locations of our seas and coasts.

In our first article on the portal, following our voyages through Güllük Gulf and the Bodrum peninsula, we decided to take a breather in Gümüşlük as we set course for Gökova Gulf.

While conducting Güllük Gulf shootings for our guide website www.coastguidetr.com, we wanted to feature an example from this region on our pages, to share what we saw and experienced.

Believe us, we had this thought in mind at every harbor and every cove. But unfortunately, we witnessed places that had nothing to do with paradise.

The Fish Farm reality, which we have shared as a problem many times in both visual and written media, has grown like an avalanche and collapsed onto the heavenly Güllük Gulf exponentially.

The State's late determination of Fish Farm regulations, uncontrolled proliferation, weak measures and unfortunately the continued inability to control all of this has been enough to turn paradise into hell.

While describing paradise in the video that you can watch on our site as Güllük Bay, the water structure whose analyses we did not show was the reason for me to write these lines.

We always carried hope, waited, but unfortunately we saw with our own eyes that we waited in vain. Nobody can do anything.

At Demir Liman, which we entered between Torba and Türkbükü for filming, we encountered an interesting incident. While we were continuing our filming, a gentleman came up to us and asked if we had seen "the Fish Farm reality." We also expressed that we were closely involved in the subject, and that the negative progression rather than the positive drove us crazy too.

Indeed, there was a fish farm in front of Demir Liman, where the gentleman had a large property. So when we asked "What did you do about this issue?" he said, "The President is my friend, I told him many times, the current Prime Minister (August 2015) is my former tenant, I told them over and over, they listened, they said okay. But still there is no progress."

When he mentioned his surname, we recognized the well-known businessman whose name we keep confidential. If even people this close to the state and administration cannot be effective in solving this problem, we couldn't find words to say and weighed anchor to move on to cleaner waters.p>

The waters returned to normal in Gündoğan. We tacked our way to Gümüşlük.

I'm telling it like it's an achievement, but really, coming to Gümüşlük during summer months is a matter of courage.

It's hard to find either a rock to tie your boat to or a reliable spot to drop your anchor. Once inside, the helplessness became apparent. As the boat swings, wind direction changes that our brain can't process and the stress level approaches the ceiling, I greeted the captain of a motor yacht anchored nearby. Not the slightest response to my greeting from him.

I persistently keep greeting, waving my arms, I insisted. Turn your head, look forward, I'm willing to accept anything. He literally looks at my face and doesn't acknowledge my greeting. What I've encountered in recent months regarding this matter had filled the cup, and this captain was the last drop.

Really, the man is not one of those new vessel owners who don't greet each other, who think don't let him anchor next to me, I won't give him the time of day, wherever he goes, he's a captain of many years.

Finally I couldn't stand it; "Captain, I gave you God's greeting with my hands, I apologize if I've polluted your view," I said. While waiting, thinking that if the captain isn't blind and deaf he'll surely respond, he must have felt embarrassed and said "I'm weighing anchor in ten minutes, wait, you can anchor here." Surprise, hidden joy, the happiness of finding an anchorage. The world of self-interest, I forgot about greetings and prepared to drop anchor.

I love Gümüşlük very much, I wanted to describe its congestion. My friends and circle also admire this place and generally live in this region.

I can't stay for long periods, I come and go each time, as everywhere. Its taste remains on my palate.

With its barber, café, a couple of restaurants that aren't expensive, its pier, island, jazz club, church, vineyards and wine, Gümüşlük is something special for me.

I'm writing these lines filtering out the crowd from my last visit.

Being within a Special Protection Area has a huge impact on preserving this Paradise.

Otherwise, our dear contractors would have placed their modern cemetery-looking housing complexes here too, just like they've installed on many slopes of Bodrum.

Actually, they have a point - when approaching the Bodrum region from afar, there are still empty plots and lands visible. Once those are whitewashed too, the view will be perfect.

The Bodrum peninsula as a completely white stone block.

Anyway, let's not drift away - let's look at Gümüşlük with its charming tea gardens, beautiful restaurants, historical structures, and its gently blowing breeze.

Gümüşlük continues to preserve its charm with its residents and those who love and protect it.

For now, it's on a fine line - we decided to examine it while it's still on top.

We asked those who love it, those who live there. First, we asked the barber on the shore standing right across from us when we dropped anchor almost in the water.

What does Gümüşlük mean to you?

HAKAN KIRIK

(Barber)

"I've been barbering for 15 years in my shop just 3 meters from the sea. I'm intertwined with the sea. Most of my customers come from the sea. Both the good and the bad come from the sea. During winter months when strong westerlies blow, the waves come inside the shop. There's nothing you can do about it. As they say: 'You can't stand before water and fire.' On such days, work comes to a halt and the cleaning begins. I'm doing the job I love in the most beautiful place in the world, practically inside the sea. We're doing everything we can to protect this wonderful place. It shouldn't become like other parts of Bodrum. The absence of construction is our greatest fortune."

Then we head to Gümüşlük's famous coffeehouse. The lively venue for those trying to live simply. There are quite a few who sit here playing backgammon throughout the season without dipping their feet in the sea. And those who don't start their day without having their morning tea at this place. Here I run into Tenor Yavuz Öztürk, whom we know from the opera world. Whenever I visit, Yavuz is there anyway, a Gümüşlük lover. He's sitting at a table with the tradesmen, with Gümüşlük's notables, playing bridge. The master soloist of great operas and major roles continues his life in Gümüşlük.

YAVUZ ÖZTÜRK

(Opera Artist)

"I came to this world pearl 41 years ago. That arrival was the arrival, my life has been predominantly here. I spearfished in these waters for 30 years. Then I decided it wasn't right and gave up hunting. I swim at least 2 hours a day in these waters. In the afternoon, I come to the café and we play bridge with friends until evening. Gümüşlük is a magical place. As much as it boosted my art career, just when I was about to achieve greater success, it drew me into this modest life and perhaps hindered my world career. Gümüşlük taught me that life is not about money, luck, and fame. A simple life, days spent with people who love and are loved, is my greatest happiness. The most beautiful months are April and May. We go up to the mountains and hills with friends and gather greens and mushrooms. I love Gümüşlük very much."

This interview also ended. We got hungry. While everyone said let's go to Gümüşlük and eat fish, we miss the meatball sandwich. We asked that famous public café and renowned meatball maker about Gümüşlük. His hands are cooking meatballs on the counter, and we're interviewing on the other side. His business is that busy. And when you become famous...

ERCAN TABAK

(Meatball Maker)

"I've been inside this booth for 26 years. Someone save me. At home, the ladies and kids prepare it, I cook and sell it. It's been very well received. It's also preferred as a practical meal around here. We became well-known, we can't keep up with the meatball demand due to the intensity (Believe us, we couldn't even eat them either, he was closing the counter an hour earlier with pre-orders). The busy season starting mid-May continues until October. Every day I start at 11:00 AM and close at 9:00 PM. I'm in paradise but I can't live because of this intensity. I can't see the most beautiful place in the world, I can't even go into the sea. Someone save me."

The meatball seller's situation is heartbreaking, we felt very sorry. Also, when he said the meatballs were finished, we understood there was no need to prolong the conversation and went to the old lighthouse keeper's son. His father kept three lighthouses in the region. His grandfather was the Customs officer here, his father was the lighthouse keeper. Born and raised in Gümüşlük.

İBRAHİM EROL

(Lighthouse Keeper's Son - Restaurant Operator))

"My late father was a lighthouse keeper for the maritime administration years ago. My childhood was mostly spent helping my father. The lighthouses on Çatal Island, Topan Island, and Büyük Kiremit Islands were under my father's responsibility. Every night he would climb the minaret to check his lighthouses. If there was any problem, he would report it to headquarters. We would take gas cylinders to the lighthouses and the lighthouses would burn for a year with that cylinder. Every week we would go to check them with a small dinghy.p>

I have now opened a restaurant with the same name, Fenerci Restaurant. From beside our restaurant, our guests walk across to Tavşan Island. We moved all the rabbits to Çavuş Island. The shallow crossing of Tavşan Island could never be properly transformed into a normal passage. Guests cross to the island by walking through difficulties.

I was born and raised here. I recommend that those who haven't seen Gümüşlük should spend at least one day in this paradise. I'm proud to be from here."

We can't get enough of colorful Gümüşlük with its vineyards, magnificent houses, gardens, and olive oil production facilities, but other places, other coves are waiting for us. Let's weigh anchor. Let's see from where we'll be calling out to you in our next article.

As we weigh anchor, we leave you alone with the Gümüşlük-themed works of Actor, Writer and Painter Civan CANOVA, who is in love with Gümüşlük and now spends a large part of his life here.

Stay Healthy