We Cannot Join the EU by Picking Up Garbage

The cargo ship M/V ULLA, loaded with 2,200 tons of poisonous waste, has been waiting for 1,014 days off the shore from Iskenderun, a coastal town in southwest Turkey. There have been increased criticisms towards the cargo ship loaded with toxic waste.

Hatay Governor Zeki Sanal said he was "disturbed" by the presence of the ship, while Aylin Canpolat Odemis, from the Iskenderun Environment Association's board of directors, said, Turkey "cannot join the European Union by picking up Europe's garbage."

Odemis, from the Iskenderun Environment Association, emphasized that they would not accept any solution other than shipping the toxic waste back to Spain. Odemis reminded that there has been no solution in 15 years to the barrels brought to the Black Sea shores from Italy in 1987. She said they did not want to face a similar problem in Iskenderun.

Environmentalist suggestions

Odemis said the following about the problem and possible solutions:

* The search for entrepots will create problems in the Mediterranean similar to the ones in the Black Sea.

* And this will not contribute to a solution but on the contrary, will cause the persistence of the problem for years.

* Turkey should oversee the Basel Agreement it has signed, and exhibit its power.

* If necessary, Turkey should pay to ship the 2,200 tons of toxic waste back to Spain and then get compensation due to its rights dictated by the agreement.

"Otherwise, if the toxic waste is kept on hold in the region, it will either remain there, or the ship will sink and the poisonous waste will thus get eradicated (!) in the waters of Iskenderun," said Odemis.

"The Environment Ministry should start executing its authority. Turkey cannot be hold responsible for the bankruptcy of the Spanish company. According to the agreement, the company must compensate for this."

Odemis stressed that Turkey, a country striving to join the EU, should be more sensitive towards environmental issues. "The EU, instead of demanding that we accept its waste, will oppose that we send our waste to other countries and demand that we build facilities with sophisticated eradication methods."

Governor Sanal disturbed by the "poison ship"

Hatay Governor Zeki Sanal said he was closely following the developments about the 2, 200 tons of thermal plant chimney ash that could not be returned to Spain. "I am very disturbed," said Sanal.

According to Sanal, "the international dimension of the issue is preventing the problem from being solved" within a reasonable period of time.

"Spain is involved in this as we all know," said Sanal.

"The negotiations between the Spanish and Turkish governments, actually, the ministries, are not at a desirable level. Because of this, the ship ULLA could not be returned to Spain within a reasonable period of time."(AB/EK/EA/NM)