DIDIM Mayor Deniz Atabay has apologised to local residents in a Sunday morning chat with Voices for the mess inflicted on them during the improvements of roads around Third Beach.

And it emerged the council is planning to employ a person to deal exclusively with local issues affecting foreign residents.

It came during a five-minute chat between Mr Atabay and Andy Probert, Voices editor and resident of Third Beach.

Mr Atabay said he had come to make an unofficial visit to check on progress of the works close to the Garden of Sun Hotel, in Camlik Mah.

Of the road works in the area around the Garden of Sun, he said: “I would like to apologise for the mess, but we have had rains and this has caused work to slow down.

“But with good weather, we hope to have the roadworks complete within 20 days.”

Aydem, the electric company, has also laid new cables to take electricity under ground, and added street lamps. Other improvements will be pavements and block paving to roads.

Of Altinkum sea front’s controversial partial demolition, Mr Atabay said: “The work by the council is probably 90 per cent complete, but we hope once everything is done, that it will be a big improvement and people will like it.”

Mr Atabay then revealed a number of plans, with one expecting to come into play soon, with the employment of a person to deal with foreign residents complaints.

He said: “I am having to deal with major internal changes within the council, but once done, we hope to employ a person who can handle complaints and issues from the foreign residents.”

He also agreed and supported Voices Newspaper organising a public meeting for him and his officials to speak to foreign residents.

As ever, Voices will keep you posted on news when the public meeting is and other developments the council is working on.