Environment-friendly cable cars in Turkey’s Black Sea

TRABZON – Anadolu Agency

New cable cars are due to be operated in the most visited places in the Black Sea region, including the historic Sümela Monastery in Trabzon’s Maçka district, the world famous Uzungöl in the Çaykara district, the Karşıyaka Nature Park in Gümüşhane, and the Kaçkar Mountains in Rize.

According to a statement from the 12th Region Director of Nature Conservation and National Parks Mustafa Bulut, the cable car operations in the region will solve the traffic problem in the region and will not lead to any deforestation. 

“The Kaçkar Mountains, the Karşıyaka Nature Park, Uzungöl and the Sümela Monastery are the sites that attract most attention from local and foreign tourists. In that respect, we plan to improve nature tourism with cable car projects for transportation in our nature and national parks,” Bulut said, emphasizing that the tourism potential of the Eastern Black Sea region is rising every year.

“Contracts for the projects have been awarded by the ministry and district directorates. The Karşıyaka Nature Park has already found a bidder. Hopefully we will complete this project by 2017,” he added.

Bulut recalled that there is already a cable car project underway that will enable transportation to and from the entrances of both the Maçka Altındere National Park and the Sümela Monastery in Trabzon, which is being implemented at full speed. 

“Works are also continuing in the Uzungöl Nature Park for the cable car project, which will ease transportation for visitors. We also have projects concerning the Kaçkar Mountains,” he said.


‘Projects will add value to the region’ 

“We believe that these projects will add value to the Eastern Black Sea region. The projects will not harm trees as they will be built in high areas. We plan to earn more income from tourism thanks to these projects. We will not destroy the natural beauty and the cable cars will be environmentally friendly,” Bulut said.

He also vowed that the project in Gümüşhane would be completed next year and the other cable car projects in each spot would be completed within a short space of time time. 

The project in Uzungöl is currently in the development process and they plan to start construction this year, once the official permit has arrived, Bulut added.  

Feasibility works of the project in Maçka are currently continuing, and construction work in Rize will start as soon as possible, he said, also recalling that there is already an ongoing cable car project in Trabzon’s Beşikdüzü district. 

Underscoring that there is a delicate balance between such projects and protecting nature in order to attract tourism in the Eastern Black Sea region, Bulut emphasized that his institution was working to improve nature tourism in the region with strict measures that won’t do damage to nature for future generations.