Court cancels geothermal wells project near olive groves in İzmir

Photo: gazetemizmir.com

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A court annulled a governor's office decision stating that an environmental impact assessment report is not required for drilling geothermal wells in Çeşme, İzmir, in western Turkey for the second time.

The project was canceled by the İzmir Administrative Court last year after locals and environmental defenders filed a lawsuit against it. However, the Council of State reversed the decision after an appeal by the İzmir Governor's Office Provincial Directorate of Environment and Urbanism.

Retrying the case, the İzmir 5th Administrative Court concluded that the decision to cancel the project was not contradictory to law.

Within the scope of the project, nine geothermal wells were intended to be drilled in nine different parcels belonging to the treasury, in an area of ​​85,600 square meters in the Ovacık plain.

Locals and environmentalists filed a lawsuit against the project based on the law about olive cultivation, stating that the project area was close to oil groves. (TP/VK)