Air pollution data for İzmir's industrialized areas not made public for five years

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An air pollution tracking website set up by the Ministry of Environment and Urbanization does not include information for the industrialized areas of İzmir, the third-largest city of Turkey.

The havaizleme.gov.tr website includes information from the air measurement stations in Çiğli, Karşıyaka, Bayraklı, Bornova, Konak-Alsancak, Konak-Güzelyalı, Buca-Şirinyer and Seferihisar while data from the stations in Aliağa, Menemen, Yeni Foça and Bozköy has not been made publicly available since June 2016.

The current air quality in İzmir is "good" according to the havaizleme.gov.tr website

Main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) İzmir deputy Murat Bakan has submitted a parliamentary question about the issue to Minister of Environment and Urbanization Murat Kurum.

He said that the CHP-led İzmir Metropolitan Municipality and professional chambers were working on the issue and the ministry should also fulfill its responsibility.

"Due diligence should be made with measurements and the data obtained should be transparently shared with the public," said Bakan. "Then, assessments should be made together with professional chambers, local administrations and scientists and measures to be taken and works to be done should be determined."

The MP noted that he also brought the issue to the parliamentary agenda in September 2019 and Minister Kurum at the time said in a response to his parliamentary question that the relevant data would be made public after the procurement of data transmission devices and services were completed.

"Is the service procurement in question not completed? If not, what is the reason for that? What are the details and the fate of the process run for its completion?" he asked.

The MP also asked when will the ministry release air pollution data for the mentioned stations. (DŞ/VK)