By ANNE CANALP
The draft Caravan Law was submitted to Parliament last month with a 20-day period for objections and will be debated after the summer recess on October 1 before going for presidential approval.
It will require a permit to site a personal caravan on private land and forbids commercial renting on privately owned land not approved for purpose.
A five-member commission to oversee the sector will be announced by the Cabinet decision to include representatives from the Environmental Protection Department, Town Planning Department and ministry who will meet once a month, together with the local district officer and mayor when cases arise.
Once published in the Official Gazette, caravan and site owners must obtain permits or move to a licensed site within two months.
A spokesman for the Interior Ministry said the new regulations aimed to stop “environmental and visual pollution caused by the uncontrolled and unregulated spread of camping vehicles”.
Motorised vans or caravans will only be permitted on officially designated caravan sites and district offices have been tasked with regulation and fines of up to five times the minimum wage – currently 2,020TL -- and/or up to three years' jail for illegal occupation.
A municipality permit will be required to site a caravan or a district office-issued permit to manage a designated caravan site, which will be bound by regualations and approval of the new commission.
The new draft law sets daily, weekly or yearly charges and conditions on the passing on of permits, fines or penalties and sets a minimum limit of 5km between caravan sites.
Municipalities or private enterprises will be responsible for the infrastructure and management of sites which must be approved by a Cabinet decree and rented from the district office.
Exemptions include trailers or caravans used by the military, police and civil defence or those used for municipality-approved meetings, shows, concerts or election propaganda by public institutions, approved agricultural projects and approved Transport and Public Works planning projects.
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