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Author Topic: What is happening to paradise.....  (Read 10535 times)

Offline collsmac

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What is happening to paradise.....
« on: August 04, 2008, 12:47:41 PM »
We have just come back from 2 weeks in our villa, 4th visit this year and we were broken into this time. We were asleep upstairs and they actually came into our bedroom whilst we were sleeping, I still feel sick when I think about it. They took things that were on the beside cabinet, literally inches away from where we were sleeping. I woke to find the person at the end of our bed, looking a thing on my dressing table. My partner shouted and they bolted down the stairs and out of the door. We tried to follow them in our jeep but they went off road. The ironic thing being is that the Jandarma were on the next road down from the road that the intruders were on.

The Jandarma were actually really good and as were all the Turkish friends that we have here. From helping us find my step son and his friend at 3 in the morning to let them know what had happened to offering to lend up money, translating with the Jandrama, looking at video surveillance for other villas to see if they caught anything....

The sad thing is that we are planning to go back for a week in October and I really don''t want to go back just now. We have been coming to Kalkan for over 4 years and I have always been sad to leave, but not this time.

Local people are aware that something needs to be done about this situation as it is only going to have a negative effect in the long term and on visitors to Kalkan. The only concern here is that they take it into their own hands, my worry isn''t for the people that they catch but for them getting into trouble. The Jandrama said that we did that right thing in not tackling the intruders ourselves as they are now carrying knives and guns....

We bought property in Kalkan because we felt it was a safe place......

Linkback: https://www.enjoykalkan.com/forum/index.php?topic=2138.0

Offline Lougie

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Re: What is happening to paradise.....
« Reply #1 on: August 04, 2008, 01:09:53 PM »
That is really scary, I would be very very frightened if I woke up with a burglar at the end of my bed, I would rather let them take what they want when I am not there, if that makes sense!

I never really thought much of the few burglaries in kalkan but now there seems to be a lot, I have read today about 4 places in total, There really must be something done but I am not sure what.

The amount of times we have gone out not shutting our patio door properly, leaving everything lying around, money, jewelery, won''t be doing that anymore!

Offline kalkan4eva

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Re: What is happening to paradise.....
« Reply #2 on: August 04, 2008, 03:06:38 PM »
This is an incredibly worrying trend...particularly if the thieves are carrying knives and guns. Are owners being made aware that this is a serious issue - other than on this and other forums? What are management companies doing to make villas more secure?
Better to keep your mouth shut and appear stupid than to open it and remove all doubt :)

Offline collsmac

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Re: What is happening to paradise.....
« Reply #3 on: August 04, 2008, 04:03:11 PM »
 My partner advised the Jandarma that if he has just got out of bed a bit quicker he could probably have caught the guy that was in our room, they said that it was better that he hadn''t as a lot of them were now carrying knives and guns (which I did think was a bit OTT, but then you think of the knife/gun culture that is now in this country and it doesn''t seem that unusual.) We didn''t see any knives or guns, they were away too quick. To be honest I think they were too busy smoking to have a hand free for a knife/gun, as there was fag ash all over our villa.

The thing that I think about is that they don''t really seem to care if people are in the villa or not and from other posts, it doesn''t seem to matter what time of day it is. All our outside lights were on, the pool lights were on, lounge/ kitchen and hallway lights were on. They had obviously realised when they had come into our room that the villa was occupied but just didn''t care, was that because they were armed??

Our management company had suggested that we fit security cameras like the villa''s next door to us but wht does that achieve, just a picture of someone (who will probably never be caught) after they have broken in......

Offline misty

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Re: What is happening to paradise.....
« Reply #4 on: August 04, 2008, 04:12:49 PM »
It appears that Turkey is suffering the same as Spain Portugal etc with gangs that move along from resort to resort never hanging around to long often using small children to gain access to properties. I guess these people will always see tourists as rich pickings.......

Misty

Offline kalkanbelle

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Re: What is happening to paradise.....
« Reply #5 on: August 04, 2008, 04:57:14 PM »
So sorry to hear about your misfortune and you have my utmost sympathy.  Nobody expects their holiday to be tainted in this way and it is even more sad that Kalkan is suffering from this spate of crime as it has has always felt so safe compared to other resorts.  The fact that these occurrences are becoming more frequent and the robbers are getting bolder is extremely worrying and if this continues it will more than likely deter prospective holidaymakers who are checking out this website from visiting in the future.  I don''t quite understand why Kalkan doesn''t have some kind of police force or crime investigation unit since it is now growing into a sizeable place and there are many tourists visiting in the summer months.  The jandarma don''t appear to have any kind of authority or means to deal with local crime so what really is their purpose?  Perhaps I am being a bit naive but surely this situation cannot be allowed to continue without anyone taking some kind of action to catch the criminals.  As a villa owner I am now concerned for the safety of my friends and family who will be staying in future.  I don''t want to panic them by telling them to lock themselves in their rooms at night but can''t see any alternative especially when children are staying.  I will certainly be getting some of those alarms but how sad that it has come to this.  Hopefully the local authorities will do something before this situation escalates......   

Offline Pete

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Re: What is happening to paradise.....
« Reply #6 on: August 04, 2008, 05:25:25 PM »
I have never understood why Kalkan is not provided with a permanent Police presence during the summer months, when the population is swelled by visitors. Lets face it, its only 25/30 minutes to Kas where there is a Police Station, it would be very easy to work out of this and use the Jandarma facilities in Kalkan.
Perhaps the real reason, other than the usual one of cost and population, is that many of Kalkans population/owners are foreigners, who do not have the privilege of a vote in the local authority elections.

Another observation that I would make, is that a small number of local people have become quite well off as a result of building and selling property to foreigners. These people exert great influence within the local community and with the local authority and probably beyond. Surely, these people know whats going on and can apply serious pressure in the right places to help provide a solution.
 

Offline yelkenite

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Re: What is happening to paradise.....
« Reply #7 on: August 04, 2008, 06:24:21 PM »
just had a word with a friend who is quite well placed in Kalkan about the recent spate of burglaries.  Apparently the Jandarma caught a couple of guys yesterday. Dont know whether it all stops now or whether there are several gangs responsible.  I''m considering enhancing the security for my apartment just to be sure.    But thought everyone would appreciate the good news.   Bill

Offline Em1

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Re: What is happening to paradise.....
« Reply #8 on: August 04, 2008, 07:14:36 PM »
Hi Collsmac

I really feel for you, as I was burgled in the UK while I was in my house many years ago, and I hated the feeling that someone who I did not know had been in my house . I felt awful for a while, and could not even take a bath if at home on my own. However these feelings did disappear, and I hope you can put this behind you and enjoy coming out to Kalkan again.

I have bars on my place in Kalkan, which I fitted a couple of years ago. However I now worry about how I would get out in an emergency! It seems we cant win.

I think a couple of well placed alarms must be the way forward whilst people are sleeping, but what about the rest of the time?

Hopefully other members will have some good ideas!

Em
Em

Offline Pauline

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Re: What is happening to paradise.....
« Reply #9 on: August 04, 2008, 07:27:23 PM »
Hi Yelkinite
I think I remember reading after our burglary a few weeks ago that some people had been arrested.   So this must be another bunch who have come visiting!!!! Pauline 

Offline routemaster

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Re: What is happening to paradise.....
« Reply #10 on: August 04, 2008, 08:03:10 PM »
just had a word with a friend who is quite well placed in Kalkan
who''s that?

a waiter?

Offline Pauline

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Re: What is happening to paradise.....
« Reply #11 on: August 04, 2008, 08:15:14 PM »
Routemaster you are wicked P

Offline yelkenite

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Re: What is happening to paradise.....
« Reply #12 on: August 04, 2008, 08:39:22 PM »
Hi Pauline,  well if they''re really going for it - the Jandarma I mean - I guess we can all rest relatively easy in our bunks eh?  I still think I''ll go for a little supplemental alarm on the front door just to deter with a bit of a racket if anyone fancies his chances.     Bill

Offline bryher

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Re: What is happening to paradise.....
« Reply #13 on: August 05, 2008, 05:32:28 AM »
I wrote some time ago about seeing and hearing 2 youths in the grounds of my villa and the gendarme reaction of "you have insurance" I really feel for those who leave their villa, return to UK and just hope all will be well.
Perhaps I am being over simplistic but if the Gendarme, who I appreciate are only conscripts but are all we have, were to switch off their blue and red lights when patrolling it would be a 100% improvement.
If I look at Kalkan at night I can see exactly where the patrol is and where it is going. If I can then so can anyone with more malicious intent

Offline Sheez

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Re: What is happening to paradise.....
« Reply #14 on: August 18, 2008, 04:48:20 PM »
It''s about risk management - fit adequate lighting/alarms etc.  I''ve actually had ''Ironwork'' installed on all my windows & doors.... I never sleep or leave my apartment in Kalkan without my ''metalwork'' locked.

However - criminals are opportunists......& will take advantage as they do the world over - what makes you think Kalkan is any different?  Infact I''m surprised it doesn''t happen more.  It''s all too easy to be lulled into the blissful state of ''kalkanworld''. 

Sad

Offline amares

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Re: What is happening to paradise.....
« Reply #15 on: September 16, 2008, 06:41:39 PM »
September 15th - we had guests in our villa in Kishla and they were burgled while they were asleep in their bedroom.  The thief (or thieves) forced the locked door with a jemmy bar and stole their valubles - phones wallet I-pods etc.   Not good and has probably ruined their holdiay and hasn''t cheered us up a lot either.  Has anyone else had trouble this month?

Offline kalcamp

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Re: What is happening to paradise.....
« Reply #16 on: September 17, 2008, 06:02:35 AM »
I don''t think this burglary thing is going to go away overnight, visitors should be pre warned by the villa owners, that burglary, especially of holidayers, is commonplace in kalkan and they should be very vigilant to lock up and close windows. This is so sad but necessary.

Offline Cosetta

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Re: What is happening to paradise.....
« Reply #17 on: September 17, 2008, 08:10:50 AM »
While I feel empathy for anyone who has been burgled -- and we have 3 times for a total value of over $22k (only once in Kalkan) -- I really feel that this topic is a good example of one that should have been placed in the ''residents / owners retreat''. 

Because airing this publicly is going to go a lose some rentals for those of you who rent, and of course it will discourage tourism.  Do you read this kind of publicly visible posting for Kas or Fethiye? Does anyone here broadcast his/her personal family problems on the Internet for all to read?  It comes to the same thing, IMHO.  That''s why Jon created that special area.

Although it is not uncommon for some men here to carry knives, to my knowledge no one has been harmed during a home break-in.  Not to say it''s a consolation but personal safety is the most important thing.  And as several retired police here in the forum have said, never try to catch or attack a burglar.  Best is to pretend to be asleep.
Villa Incantata - http://kalkan-turkey.com

Offline Pauline

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Re: What is happening to paradise.....
« Reply #18 on: September 17, 2008, 11:58:44 AM »
I don''t agree - bad news is aired publicly in every daily paper in the world - bad things and good things- and people still travel.  I believe people should know what is happening and be prepared - not have it brushed under the carpet and find out later - not my idea of being fair to our tourists/visitors at all - quite the opposite.   When I lived in Rome in a paricularly bad period I always informed my visitors not to wear expensive jewellery or carry handbags as these things were being ''strapped'' from them - sometimes with unfortunate tragic consequences.   But I felt it was my duty.   Pauline

Offline Cosetta

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Re: What is happening to paradise.....
« Reply #19 on: September 17, 2008, 12:51:57 PM »
I quite agree that tourists / visitors should be told and warned ... when they arrive.  This info should be in every owner''s villa guest packet.  But that''s quite different from publishing it on the Internet.


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