FETHIYE AFTER THE PROCLAMATION OF THE TURKISH REPUBLIC

M. Kemal Ataturk, the founder of the Turkish Republic, stopped at Fethiye on 22 February 1935, on his way from Mersin-Antalya by the boat called Ege. The residents of Fethiye were overjoyed by this visit and prepared o welcome worthy of Ata. The quay and the town were decorated and illuminated, and rugs were laid on the spot where he would step ashore from the boat.

Two hours after the arriva of the Ege in port, a reception committee comprising of the Governor, Nazmi Guven, the Mayor, Baha sıkman, the head of the district of the Republican Party, Hilmi Dogerli of the district of the Republican Party, Hilmi Dogerli and Dr.Pürşah Aktan and Muharrem Türközü went aboard for welcome but they were received by the Private Secretary only and could not get to see Ataturk. However, during this visit, Atatürk sent word via C. Cahit Toydemir that he would come out to the town at 8.30 a.m. the next day. After the reception committee returned, festivities were organized along the quay throughout the night with skyrockets, pending Atatürk's coming ashore. At 8.30. the next morning, H. Riza Soyak and the commander of the troop of guardsmen came ashore with the news that Ata would come out at 1 2.00 noon. Meanwhile, Ata inquired about the means of transportation to Depboy and on learning there was none, decided not to come ashore. In his memoirs Hilmi Dogeri mentions. that Ataturk could not visit Fethiye as he was critically ill by then.

On Saturday, 23 February 1 936 at 4.00p.m. when the boat weighed anchor, the inhabitants got into motorboats and skiffs to see Ataturk off, when he came on deck and raised his hat to greet the public. "Once Ataturk went to Mersin by boat (Ege). Upon his return, he stopped at Fethiye. While the people celebrated his arrival, skyrockets were thrown from the boat. As Ataturk watched the festivities, he asked the commander of the torpedo boat, Zafer, to fire a torpedo, but when the commander said, "Aye, aye sir, but the cost of one torpedo is fifty thousand lira", Ataturk confermanded by saying, "this nation is not that affluent," and praised his commander.

On 1 September 1937, Field Marshal Fevzi Cakmak arrived by sea at Fethiye atld came ashore. Then he went to Sarıyer Village of Kemer. There, learning that the boundaries of the town covered a vast area, he departed from Fethiye the next morning at 10.00 a.m. In the rapidly developing Fethiye, the foundations of a power plant were laid on 1 7 March 1939. The earthquake in April 1957 suddenly altered everything. Following the first warning tremors in the course of the night, Nezihi Okus, the Governor, sent messengers to the city and the villages, asking the residents to vacate their houses. Consequently, the fatality rate was quite low although the earthquafe was very severe. 1 9 people were killed and 103 people were wounded. Of the 1 700 houses in the center of the town I600 were wrecked. The greatest damage occured in the swamp area between the town and the bay which was crudely filled up and where houses were built on foundations only half to one meters in height. 5-6 meters of the quay broke off and submerged into the sea. The roads were split open and water gushing out from these splits created sand piles.The hospital, highschool, technical school and the post office were demoliswere split open and water gushing out from these splits created sand piles.The hospital, highschool, technical school and the post office were demolished. The telephone wires were down so communication was broken. 90% of the buildings in town were completely destroyed and the 10% was uninhabitable. The President of the Republic, Celal Bayar, The Minister of Interior Affairs, Namık Gedik and the Prime Minister, Adnan Menderes came to investigate the damage.

The swamps which were dried up until 1944 were refilled with the rubble with some stones from antique buildings also used in the process. Until 1967 Fethiye was composed of three districts to which Tuzla and Tasyaka were later added.

 Cahit Gunduz, who was the governor of Fethiye during the years 1970-1973 founded an association by the name of "Union for Development of Fethiye and Environs". The swamps in the region, now called "Dolgu Sahasi", along the shore was filled up and sold to public. (This is the region called Megri Saltpan about which there is "Megri Salt Prohibition" i.e.a legislation.)

With funds obtained from these sales, drinking water was supplied from Kyzgolu to the neighbouring towns and villages. With the filling up of the swampy area of "Dolgu Sahasi", a new district was developed and the number of districts increased to nine.

Up to the present, the mayors paid special attention to the environmental development of Fethiye. Es-pecially in 1973 a new regulation was put into effect. regarding the areas of settlement. On the other hand, tourism is a potential resource for Fethiye. A research revealed that while in 1990 the majority of the people were not favourably inclined towards tourism, this is totally altered today. Fethiye, with its vast arable land, Saklıkent, Valley of Butterflies, Oludeniz, coastline and natural beauty, has the appearance of.