The curtain has been raised on the behind-the-scenes saga that has seen the Didim Amphitheatre closed and off-limits – and is now grabbing the public’s attention.

Local and national newspapers have reported that the 780 million liras development is standing idle because it is in the middle of a disagreement between the present mayor, the former mayor and the contracted builder.

Under former Mayor Deniz Atabay, the amphitheatre was built at the Second Bay location and became the most important social activity centre for Didim people over the last two years.

After taking office, new Mayor Hatice Gençay put out a tender on May 8, 2024 to rent the amphitheatre for 45,000 liras per day. However, the tender was cancelled three days later. The building was allegedly closed on Mayor Gençay’s decision over allegations that ‘there is a shift in its foundation’.

Mr Atabay, who harshly criticized the claim as the reason for the closure, said: “There is no shift in the foundation of the amphitheater. This place was built after the necessary research and tests were carried out by experts in the field working at Ege University.

“There is definitely no slippage or shifting. Unfortunately, there is a shift in the axis in the municipality,” and stated that what happened was saddening.

Meanwhile, Cebrail Tunç, who undertook the construction of the project, said: “There is no shift in the structure of the amphitheater. There is absolutely no such thing. The expert report is also out. The expert teams could not find any findings regarding the claims made by Hatice Gençay.”

While alluding to other claims, he added: “If there was a shift, why did Adnan Menderes University hold its graduation ceremony here? Mayor Gençay also attended this ceremony.”

He was quoted as saying: “We are a 45-year-old company and such claims are aimed at discrediting our company. Therefore, I am filing a compensation lawsuit against them,” and argued the municipality was being unfair to them.

The opening of the Amphitheater – one of the mega-projects in Didim in recent years – was held in a ceremony attended by the then CHP Chairman Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu. The 3,500-person capacity Amphitheater went on to host 14 concerts by many famous artists.

While claims and counter-claims swirl, the theatre overlooking the Aegean stands silent.