Didim Marina

A TANTALISING view of the Aegean's newest $50 million marina which is set to dominate the Didim coastline has been unveiled for the first time. As the exciting plans for the 287,000 m2 marina were released, it was announced that three Government ministers will attend an offical ground-breaking ceremony at the site, between Third Beach and the Parlementerler Sitesi, this Thursday (Feb 22) at 11 am. The layout of Didim D-Marina, which is scheduled to be open in summer 2009, reveals for the first time the extent of a new 'hub of life' on the 70 acre site. The marina will have a yacht club, heliport for the rich and famous to land helicopters direct on the site, a capacity for 623 berthed yachts and 600 yachts in dry dock, a yacht lift for 300 and 100 tonnes, and a swimming pool. The marina will serve mainly yachts of 75 - 150 metres long, such as mega-yachts which are increasing in popularity on the Aegean and east Mediterannean seaboard. There will also be a shopping centre, supermarkets, yacht equipment shops, a fitness centre and sports facilities, banks, a petrol station, restaurants and a cultural centre. The marina will also crucially have ferryboat management for cruises to the Greek islands of Kalimnos, Kos and Leros, as well as a customs post, port authority facilities and a passport control unit. Didim D-Marina is being built on a build-operate-transfer for 25 years by Dogus Group, one of Turkey's leading construction companies. This Thursday's groundbreaking ceremony will be attended by Minister of Transport Binali Yildrim, Minister of Culture and Tourism Atilla Koç, Secretary of State Kürsat Tüzmen, as well as Dogus Holding Executive Ferit Sahenk and Vice Chairwoman Filiz Sahenk.