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ECO-TURKEY

NEWS FROM THE STRUGGLE FOR A SUSTAINABLE LIVING
Bulletin of Yeşilev, component of Ekoloji Birliği of Turkey
Issue 3
Feb. 2025
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Western Black Sea Region Environmental Volunteers Meeting

Western Black Sea Region environmental volunteers came together at the Zonguldak Municipality Culture Center. They shared their experiences by explaining their local struggles. They made decisions for the environmental struggle to proceed in coordination. Volunteers from organizations fighting against environmental problems in the districts of Zonguldak Center, Ereğli, Devrek, Çaycuma, Kilimli and Gerede attended the meeting.

Zonguldak Environmental Protection Association President Mr. Ahmet Öztürk made a general presentation about environmental problems and struggles in the entire region in his opening speech. He emphasized the unity of struggle between environmental volunteers and local people. He explained the problems of wild mining in Alaplı, Akçakoca and Devrek forests, the unbelievable pollution in Gerede Stream, and the opening of Filyos Valley to dirty technologies.


  They don't care if
  people get cancer
  (Image: X-@temavakfi)
 

On behalf of the TEMA Foundation, Ms. Berran Şeker Aydan described the struggles they have been struggling with adverse conditions in various areas such as thermal power plants, quarries, ship dismantling facilities, Filyos Valley Project in Zonguldak since 1991: "We have experienced many defeats. But even our small successes are very important, they are worth our patient and devoted struggle. In the words of our Honorary President Mr. Karaca: A nail cannot be driven in with one blow, it has to be hit repeatedly and persistently."

Mr. Mehmet Emin Aslan, on behalf of the Gerede Stream Clean Flow Platform, explained the pollution problem of the Gerede Stream in the Filyos water basin: The main source of pollution is the "Gerede Karma" and "Gerede Deri" organized industrial zones. They discharge their wastewater into the Gerede Stream without purifying it. The Gerede Stream, which also provides drinking water for Ankara, is a source of pollution that threatens the lives of every living creature that drinks the water. On the other hand, the ecological balance of the stream is disrupted as a result of the theft of water.

Mr. Çetin Yılmaz, on behalf of the Western Black Sea Environmental Volunteers Platform, explained how environmental volunteers defend their living spaces together with the local people. There are many environmental problems. The platform’s leading areas of struggle are the gold mine drillings in the forests of Akçakoca, Alaplı, Devrek and the attempt to establish an iron slag facility in the natural pond on the border of Ereğli Alaplı. A serious problem is the expenses of the lawsuits opened by the platform. In some cases, the expert fee was covered by the Islamic religious aid of the people such as “fitra” and “zakat”. The integration of the local people into the environmental struggle is an indispensable precondition for success.

Fertilizer factory case will be taken to the European
Court of Human Rights if necessary

Retired teacher Ms. Züleyha Nur, on behalf of the Çaycuma Environmental Volunteers, said that the emissions emitted by the OYKA paper factory and the wastewater discharged into the Filyos River were important problems for the district. Nur, who provided information about the progress of the lawsuit they filed against Tosyalı Holding's fertilizer factory, stated that they took the case, which was concluded against them at the Council of State, to the Constitutional Court and that if they cannot get a result there, they will take it to the European Court of Human Rights.


  Western Black
  Sea environmental
  volunteers
 

Mr. Cemil Temel, on behalf of Devrek Environmental Volunteers, explained their struggle against the HES established in the Çaydeğirmeni town: Despite all warnings and struggles, the construction of the HES could not be prevented. They are destroying the ecosystem of the region. They are causing fungus on the trees. What was promised during the construction of the HES did not come true. The speaker also explained that they are carrying out a determined struggle against the gold mine in Devrek.

In the last part of the meeting, everyone's opinions and suggestions were received and decisions were made. The new executive of the Livable Zonguldak Platform, which fights against environmental problems in Zonguldak Kozlu and Kilimli, was formed. It was decided that participation in the executive would always be open and would be expanded with the participation of everyone who wanted to. For horizontal coordination between platforms, decisions were made to create social media addresses on local platforms, to tag each other in all posts, to establish a website, to open a YouTube address, and to establish WhatsApp groups to provide more effective communication.

(Source: Özgür Halkın Sesi - Jan. 26)