Kemer: Premier Marina Destination on Turkey's Turquoise Coast

The Antalya Region is something else in May. A land of incomparable beauty with the calmness of its sea, its temperature, and the vibrancy of its colors.

A region that must be visited every year by a sailor, with its historical values extending from land to underwater.

It wouldn't be wrong to say that especially the months of May-June have no rival.

We covered Kekova, one of the most important locations of this unique region, in our previous news.

Now I wanted to explore Kemer with you.

Since 2001, we have been bringing both above-water and underwater values to screens, magazine pages, and websites.

HIGH MOUNTAINS BEHIND IT

We are in Kemer with its wide beaches extending throughout, orderly roads, lush green nature, and beautiful parks one after another.

Kemer has become one of the important centers of Turkish Tourism. It serves the country's tourism with beautiful tourist facilities offering plenty of options.

FROM TURBAN TO PRESENT DAY

It also has a marina that was built during the time of Turban operations and was eventually transferred to the private sector.

Is it large? No.

But it's one of the first and struggles to meet the demand.

The only marina between Antalya-Finike.

In the marina, we see plenty of day boats alongside amateur yachts.

They are served through a different door. 

Indeed, hundreds of guests go on cruises in the region with these vessels multiple times throughout the day.

With the new size concept, many boats moored to the marina create very heavy traffic.

One departs, another moors. Tremendous traffic.

Especially on days when the wind is strong, the Marina and the captains have a difficult job.

WHEN KEMER MARINA IS MENTIONED

While we started with the marina on the subject in Kemer, we wanted to talk with manager Levent TOKAÇ, who has been working at the marina since its construction days.

In our view; when Kemer Marina is mentioned, Levent TOKAÇ comes to mind, and when Levent TOKAÇ is mentioned, Kemer Marina comes to mind.

After the Marina was privatized, it changed hands several times, but we always saw fixture Levent Bey in management.

LEVENT TOKAÇ

“I started working at Marmaris Turban in 1979. 

I was transferred to Kemer in 1985. The Marina was still under construction. 

Marinas and maritime had not yet developed.

The pleasure that marina management gives brought me to these days. 

I never broke away from marina management or from Kemer.

I have been working at this marina for more than a quarter of a century.

You need to be passionate about marina management. 

You need to know what the yachtsman coming from the sea wants. 

You need to empathize and think like him.

Not everything is about money.

Sailors are special people. 

They need to be provided with special service.

Our respect is endless for those who experience the sea with its weather, wind, and harsh conditions.

In those years, as Turban, first Kuşadası, then Bodrum, and subsequently Kemer were opened for service.  

As years passed, many marinas have been built in the region to this day.

KNOWN AS A TROUBLED REGION

Since our region is within the Antalya basin, our marinas are referred to as Eastern Mediterranean Marinas.

Abroad, we are mentioned as being within the troubled geography of the Middle East Region.

In past years, almost all boats were foreign. 

Now it is not possible to encounter foreign yachtsmen.

Foreigners no longer cruise in Turkish waters. 

The few yachtsmen who do cruise prefer the Aegean Waters.

Over time, Kemer became a very special tourism center, but unfortunately we could not bring the people of Kemer together with the sea.

There is no interest in the sea, lands, plots, hotels, and residences are their areas of interest.

WHEN THE FOREIGNERS LEFT

Ninety percent of foreigners used to live on boats in the past. 

We brought them together with the people of Kemer, but unfortunately we could not make them sailors.

If you were to ask me how many boats from Kemer are berthed at your marina, I can say nothing more than one or two.

WE ARE WAITING FOR APPROVAL FOR THE NEW PROJECT

The construction in our marina is still as it was when it was first established. We couldn't make progress in construction. For example, 35 years ago boats were not this big.

We had no difficulty providing service.

But now the situation has completely changed.

We are not in a position to service such large yachts in this way.

We need to reorganize our marina in accordance with today's conditions, in a nature-friendly and harmonious manner.

The quays we are currently using have completed both their economic and technical lifespan.

We are waiting for the permits to be issued for the project we have created to make all these improvements."

MODERNIZING THE MARINA

We are also eagerly waiting for this beautiful marina of this beautiful town to be brought up to today's standards.

When it comes to arrangements and capacity increase in marinas, we have witnessed in some recent correspondence how difficult these permits are to obtain, and even if obtained, how high the fee costs are.

The investor has to pay a tremendous price for all the modifications made.

CHICKS WILL COME OUT, BIRDS WILL COME OUT

GUESS WHO THESE COSTS WILL COME FROM?

This amounts to nearly a 4-5 year berthing fee for each berth in capacity expansion.

Of course, on top of this, there is the construction cost.

All of this will eventually come out of somewhere. 

Guess from whom it will come?

Soon we will share a detailed research on this subject with you.

“Why marinas have become expensive and are becoming expensive.

FROM ISTANBUL TO KEMER

We are with a sailor friend who came from Istanbul to Kemer years ago and settled here.

We have been friends for years. 

İsmail SANDAN, whose years of longing for the sea, his purchase of his boat named S/Y SMART ALEC, and his exploration of the Aegean and Mediterranean inch by inch we know closely.

Our brother İsmail has been involved in tourism here for years. He is a figure who has held active positions in the municipality.

Together with his wife Leyla hanım, there is no sea they haven't been to, no island they don't know.

In fact, his serial articles on this subject have been published in "Naviga" magazine.

I DON'T GO OUT WITHOUT LEYLA, BROTHER

He doesn't go to sea without sister Leyla. 

When sister Leyla escapes to the grandchildren, their boat's bow turns towards Kemer. 

We are discussing Kemer with İsmail Abi, the beloved brother of sailors, at Kekova Gökkaya Harbor which he loves so much.

İSMAİL SANDAN

“After a kidney surgery, we decided that life in Istanbul was unbearable and came to Kemer in 1987.

At that time, one of our children was in elementary school, the other in middle school.

We had heard the name Kemer before.

We liked it when we saw it. 

We really liked it with its infrastructure, the pine trees behind it, the sea and the way the town sits in nature, and we decided to settle.

Back then, Kemer had a village, a town atmosphere. Like the old days of Kaş.

Now it has become crowded with mass tourism. 

When we look around, it is still an inaccessible place.

Between 1989-1999, I served as both a municipal council member and deputy mayor.

I was one of those who led the establishment of many associations.

There is an increase in the number of sailors in Kemer compared to previous years. 

But this is not enough.

I think the mistakes made in the settlement in Kemer have an effect on this.

HIGH-RISE BUILDINGS CREATE A BARRIER ON THE COAST

Large, tall hotels have settled on the town's shores, creating a barrier.

It becomes difficult for residents and guests to reach the sea and benefit from it. 

The number of restaurants and cafes on the coast is insufficient. Citizens cannot be one with the sea.

This planning was done by the World Bank and the then Ministry of Tourism.

Actually, if the plan had gradually risen from the shore backwards with fewer floors and there were vertical roads leading to the sea, this situation would not have occurred.

TOURIST PROFILE FROM THEN TO NOW

In the years we came to Kemer, the tourist profile was predominantly; British, German and French.

Over time, the tourist profile shifted to Russian dominance due to our experiences with Europe and the arrival of Russians. 

With the increase of Russians and Middle Easterners, Europeans stopped coming altogether. 

Currently there are 60% Russian tourists. Perhaps 5-10% European.

Hotel service quality also declined as it adapted to customer expectations. 

Quality was compromised for competition. Hotels filled up but quality dropped.

Perhaps it will improve in future years. 

WE MISS FOREIGN YACHTSMEN

I have been a Kemer Marina customer for years. Between 1989-1995, foreign yachtsmen lived in our marina.

There were close to a hundred foreign yachtsman families staying on their boats in winter.

They brought liveliness to the town and region in winter. 

When these groups left, the liveliness went with them.

Still, Kemer is far ahead of many towns.”

We ask Leyla ablaya, 

“What do you think about Kemer?”

The answer is clear; 

“My Husband Knows, I Don't Know”

SUDDENLY EMPTYING DOWNPOURS

While staying in Kemer, we witnessed an event we had never seen anywhere else. 

I stayed in this marina, in this area, in 1995-96. 

The clouds surrounding the mountains can suddenly leave heavy rainfall over the town and then disappear.

We experienced this during our visit as well. 

Immediately afterward, we went out to walk around the town and were amazed.

Can infrastructure be this excellent?

If this were in Ankara, divers would rush to help.

Not a drop of water on the roads.

ONE OF THE UNDERWATER TOURISM CENTERS

The region has quite a few indispensable points for underwater tourism.

Kemer is a pioneer in diving tourism. 

It also hosts seminars and meetings related to underwater sports.

When underwater Kemer is mentioned, one cannot help but talk about the PARIS 2 wreck lying at 30 meters depth in front of the town.

We have made many dives to this point for filming purposes since 2001, capturing footage.

In most of our work, we were together with the late Haluk CECAN.

Levent KONUK, who was with us in this and other projects, was also present.

Levent is a photography artist, a person of the region.

He is the recipient of many awards related to underwater photography.

He currently has a studio in Istanbul and continues his art of photography.

I wanted to hear about the PARIS 2 Wreck from him. 

With his excellent footage.

LEVENT KONUK

Spring of 1995...  The nets of fishermen fishing off Kemer get caught on an object and the fishermen ask for help from divers to retrieve the nets. 

A big surprise awaits the divers who dive to rescue the nets underwater:   They encounter a warship full of ammunition lying on the sand at 30 meters depth.    

Later they call us to make a research dive on the ship and with the first dive, an endless curiosity and instinct to explore begins.   

Diving into history created different effects on people, but diving into an unknown history was something else entirely.  After the first dive, a tremendous curiosity and research

instinct had started to gnaw at us:  

What was the story of this ship?

PARIS II

Length: 55 m.                   

Beam: 8m50

Underwater section (hull): 5m 60        

Tonnage: 551 tons

895 horsepower steam engine

We dived to this shipwreck located off Kemer numerous times and during these dives we obtained many clues about the vessel.   

The most important of these was finding the ship's name:  

The ship's name was Paris II.     

Considering its name, cargo and weapons aboard, it was understood that this was a French warship.   

As we thought about it, the possibilities were gradually narrowing down.  

A warship sunk in Turkish territorial waters must have sunk during one of the two world wars.   

WHERE DID IT COME FROM, WHY WAS IT IN THESE WATERS?

The vessel Paris II, built for fishing, joined the navy on 23 September 1914 at France's Le Havre port. 

First assigned to the 2nd Light Armed Unit, the ship was incorporated into the Reserves Unit consisting of vessels later joined to the navy, located in Brest, in August 1915.

After being prepared for the Navy's 2nd Fleet, it departed from Brest port under the command of Captain Paponnet on 6 September 1915 and reached

Bizerte port on 14 September. 

In February 1917, with Lieutenant Henri Rollin's appointment as captain, it joined the 7th Cavalry Group of the Syrian Naval Unit. 

ITS MISSION

Her mission was to work in coordination with the Alexandra vessel to prevent fuel shipments made by the Turks to German submarines between Marmaris and Anamur.

On December 13, 1917, Paris II and Alexandra were sailing near Ağva Point at the 2nd mile of their route, maintaining a distance of 500 meters between them.

East of this cape, barges coming from Antalya were anchored in the bay bearing the same name.

Suddenly, the lookout of Paris II gave the signal indicating that he saw a barge inside the bay.

A few days earlier, the ship's commander, Captain Rollin, had captured a barge loaded with oranges in the same bay.

A longboat equipped with a machine gun and the necessary equipment to tow the vessel to be captured was used to seize this boat. Heavy fire was opened on the longboat from the shore,

but Paris II responded to this fire with its 75mm cannons and succeeded.

Commander Rollin informed the Alexandra vessel about the "Freedom of Maneuver" operation to repeat the same operation and headed towards Ağva

Point.

The longboat crew, consisting of volunteers from among Paris II's crew, took combat positions.

FALLING INTO THE TRAP

This time, Captain Rollin had fallen into a trap. Mustafa Ertuğrul Bey, who had achieved great success by recently sinking an aircraft carrier and two cruisers under his command with an artillery battery near Meis Island under British occupation, had come to Kemer and crossed those paths that no one could pass through

crossing over and prepared a tremendous surprise for the French ships. 

The artillery fire that began at 11:25 and achieved exactly 110 hits in less than half an hour sent the Paris II ship to the bottom of the sea

without giving it a chance to resist.

A DESPERATE STRUGGLE FOR LIFE AT SEA

“A complete struggle for life was taking place at sea. 

There were about twenty men who jumped into the sea before Paris II sank, and they were swimming towards Alexandra to avoid being captured. 

Everyone was helping each other and giving courage. After struggling for about three hours, when Alexandra disappeared from sight and all their strength was exhausted,

they decided to come ashore.  

WHAT AWAITS ON LAND?

It was a difficult decision, because they did not know what they would face when they came ashore. 

Would they be met with machine gun fire like the Germans did to prisoners?

Their strength was exhausted, they had no ability left to fight. 

18 people including Captain Rollin and the captain's dog Mastik had survived. 

Our soldiers went into the sea to rescue the enemy soldiers who were struggling to survive at sea. 

EVEN THE ENEMY WOUNDED ARE TREATED

Captain Ertuğrul Bey greeted Rollin and introduced himself. During the days of scarcity in World War I, Turkish soldiers tore apart the war packages they had prepared for themselves at the hem of their coats to bandage the wounds of enemy soldiers. They offered hot tea that smelled nice but was sweetened with raisins instead of sugar.

They placed them in a hut and lit a fire in the room, distributed cigarettes and oranges, and then gave each of them a plate of porridge.

They learned a great lesson from the Turkish people whose civilian targets they had hit and whose small boats they had sunk.

DR. ORHAN KAPTAN AWAITS US

When we leave this unique story of the town off Kemer and return to shore, we are once again with a sea volunteer.

Orhan Kaptan is a physician. From Thrace.

Circumstances and passion for the sea have brought him to these waters, these shores.

Despite his work, he is one of those who live the sea intensely.

One of those who strive to spread seamanship.

We chatted in front of his boat.

ORHAN YEŞİLLİ   

"As a young physician, after completing my eastern duty, I started working in Didim. From there, I was transferred to Antalya Kaş Gömbe in 1995.

Meanwhile, my military service came up and as soon as it ended, my father and I set out from Saroz with our small boat named "SABIR" and sailed along the coasts to reach Antalya.

First, we moored inside Antalya Kale.

Since the port was commercial, we couldn't find shelter.

I had come to Antalya for the sea.

I spoke with the health directorate, and moved to Kemer from Gömbe where the position situation was suitable.

At that time, Kemer was one of the regions where tourism was very intense and very special.

I'm a Thrace kid, back home I only saw one person sailing. Even though I loved sailing very much, I didn't have the chance to learn it for this reason.

When I went to Didim, there was no maritime activity at that time, so I couldn't start sailing there either.

When I came to Kemer, I first got acquainted with the marina.

INFORMATION FROM THE SAILING WORLD

I had read the articles about the marina here in "Yelken Dünyası" (Sailing World) magazine. I read that there were sailing yachts in the marina and became curious.

At that time it wasn't privatized yet, it was affiliated with Turban.

I requested entry permission from the marina manager.

Once that permission was granted, I both spent time at their facilities and had the opportunity to get to know and befriend those living at sea closely.

The marina clientele was predominantly foreign in those days.

There was year-round living on almost all vessels.

Especially during winter months, parties and gatherings were held ashore every day.

A completely different life.

I spent so much time at the marina that I realized my expenses at the facilities exceeded my rent.

SMALL BOAT CAME TO THE RESCUE

Finally, we bought an abandoned boat from Robinson clubs and repaired it with my father.

Now we had a boat at the marina.

We were lucky; the marina we were at was an important establishment that had trained qualified marina personnel for Turkish marinas, and it still is.

In our meetings with the marina management, "We researched why the public was distant from the sea.

Families not involved with the sea or sailing were not directing their children to this field either.

For this reason, we started the first sailing courses and activities.

MARINA ALLOCATES BOAT TO COURSE PARTICIPANTS

The marina allocated a free boat for these courses.

At that time, 200-300 adult Kemer residents became acquainted with the sea and sailing.

This is how sailing began in Kemer..

We can say the Kemer sea is mild.

German sailors living here say,

"We come from the northern seas, where the sea is harsh. We can only go out to sea wearing what are practically astronaut suits.

When we come here, we feel like we're on a lake. But our insurance companies warn us; It resembles a lake, but when it gets rough, you can find yourself in the North Sea"

OUR SEA IS GENERALLY MODERATE

Our sea is generally moderate, wave intervals are wide, you don't get worn out.

Our only concern is the excessive heat in midsummer. At that time, you can go to coves where you can cool off and refresh.

Here we have a very large group. Together with our doctor friends in Antalya and many sea lovers, we live and sail together.

Our seas are beautiful, our coves are excellent.

In recent years, as everywhere else, we have started to witness behaviors that are far outside our established maritime culture and lifestyle.

SEA HOOLIGANS HAVE PROLIFERATED HERE TOO

In recent years, we have started to encounter people who anchor their boats in Genoese Harbor, one of the most beautiful coves in the world, then go ashore to light barbecues, speak with profanity, and fire shots randomly under the influence of alcohol.

These have started to make us uneasy."

Yes, with its good and bad aspects, we have created a KEMER file for sailors with our guests.

I wonder if you liked it?

Stay healthy.