Over 4,000 Hotels Shut Down Ahead of Tourism Season Over Missing Permits

With the tourism season just around the corner, Türkiye’s hospitality sector is facing a massive disruption: over 4,000 hotels across the country have been shut down for operating without the legally required “tourism operating license”, according to official sources. The closures come despite a prior Constitutional Court ruling annulling the legal grounds for such enforcement, raising concerns over regulatory overreach and legal ambiguity.

Crackdown Follows Deadly Kartalkaya Fire

The intensified inspections were launched in response to the deadly hotel fire in Kartalkaya, which claimed 78 lives earlier this year. The tragedy prompted public outcry and forced the Ministry of Culture and Tourism to accelerate inspections focusing on fire safety, licensing, and compliance across the hotel sector.

Inspections revealed that many establishments were operating solely with municipal licenses, lacking the mandatory national tourism operating certificate issued by the Culture and Tourism Ministry.

Mass Closures Despite Legal Uncertainty

According to BirGün newspaper, more than 4,000 hotels have been sealed off in recent weeks, pending approval of their tourism licenses. While officials cite legal obligations to enforce the shutdowns, industry representatives argue that the process is unmanageable, especially given the administrative backlog and staff shortages within the Ministry.

Sources in the sector report that many hotels had already submitted their applications, but have not received approvals due to bureaucratic delays.

Constitutional Court Ruling Ignored?

Adding to the legal controversy, the Constitutional Court of Türkiye previously ruled that shutting down hotels solely due to the absence of a tourism operating license is unconstitutional. However, hotel associations claim that enforcement actions continue unabated, effectively ignoring the ruling and sparking fresh debate over the government’s handling of tourism regulation.

Industry Leaders: “This Season Is Already Lost”

Serdar Karcılıoğlu, Honorary Founding President of the Bodrum Professional Hotel Managers Association (BOYD), warned that the closures will have catastrophic consequences for the industry:

“Only around 200 of the 4,000 shuttered hotels may manage to obtain their licenses and reopen. The rest will either remain closed or operate illegally. It’s not just hoteliers being hurt—tourists and local economies will suffer too,” Karcılıoğlu said.

He added that the Ministry’s inaction and lack of preparedness had turned an administrative issue into a sector-wide crisis, concluding:

“This season has already been lost.”

Wider Economic Impact Looms

The mass closures and legal uncertainty pose a significant threat to Türkiye’s tourism economy, a key pillar of national GDP. As the summer season begins, the sudden withdrawal of thousands of accommodation facilities from the market could lead to:

• Tourist shortages

• Regional economic disruption

• Illegal operations filling the void

The hotel sector is now urging urgent legislative clarity and expedited administrative reforms to prevent long-term damage.