Battle Against Coal Plants Increasing in Number

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 Aliağa, Zonguldak, Çanakkale, Konya, Muğla, Maraş, İskenderun, Bartın and all Turkey are currently faced with the potential threats due to the 80 new coal thermal power plants planned to be constructed in addition to the existing 21 others.

Besides polluting air and water, coal both makes workforce independent to the mines by promising unsafe thus cheap employment and risks future by creating climate changes with effects beyond repair as well.

177 countries have signed the Paris (Climate) Agreement in order to limit the global temperature rise below 2, if possible, below 1,5 degrees celsius.  The world is avoiding using coal.

In case the project of constructing 80 new thermal power plants was to be realised, Turkey will emit at least 200,000,000 tons of greenhouse gas rapidly turning into the world’s emission leader.

Against this course of events, millions of people from all over the world; from Gerze to Germany, from Yırca to Philippines are resisting and raising their voices.

Turkey Summit to be in Aliağa

Therefore, millions defending life from 13 states and 5 continents are launching a campaign against fossil fuel under the motto “Break free from fossil fuels” on May 4-15.

Besides the Break Free From Fossil Fuels Initiative, Aliağa where four additional thermal power plants are planned to be constructed, will raise voice for the campaign.

All life-defenders will come together on May 15 in Aliağa.

In addition to an existing coal thermal power plant, construction of four new ones are being planned in Aliağa district of İzmir, which as an industrial district has already been tackling extreme pollution since years in Turkey.

There are countless industrial plants in Aliağa such as refinery premises, petrochemical plants, LPG stores, arc furnace iron steel plants, fertilizer factories and ship dismantling premises...etc.

Kadri Sungur from Aliağa Platform for Environment (ALÇEP) makes a call as follows:

“Together with 100,000 persons from Aliağa, we are being forced to live heavy industrial pollution and thermal plants just beside İzmir. We are being exposed to the pollution and dust of the heavy industry and thermal plants in our neighbourhood and street every day. But that’s enough, neither in Aliağa, nor anywhere in Turkey or world living like this can be deemed proper. We will get all fossil fuels out of our lives and won’t let new power plant be constructed in Aliağa”. (NV/DG)