Located between the districts of Orhangazi and İznik in Bursa, Lake İznik is a significant natural and cultural heritage site in Turkey’s Marmara Region.
As the country’s fifth-largest lake, spanning an area of 300 square kilometers, the lake has also been an essential water resource.
Throughout history, Lake İznik has been home to various civilizations. The lake's surroundings are rich with remnants from the Bithynian, Roman, Seljuk, and Ottoman periods, including several churches and monasteries, as well as walls built by the Roman Empire.
However, in recent years, Lake İznik has faced challenges due to the climate crisis, which has led to a decrease in water levels and increased pollution.
Industrial activities, agricultural chemicals, and untreated domestic waste have affected water quality, causing destructive impacts on the lake's ecosystem. The threat from existing factories around the lake is growing, and new factories are planned to be established, further endangering the lake.
‘The lake is on the brink of death’
Recently, a 25.24-hectare area on the Orhangazi shore of the lake within the Örnekköy neighborhood was designated as a special industrial zone for Varaka Paper Industry Inc., a subsidiary of Albayrak Group, a business conglomerate known for its close ties to the government.
This decision was formalized through Presidential Decree No. 8839, published in the Official Gazette on Aug 15.
‘A tailor-made decision’
Caner Gökbayrak, an activist with the Bursa Water Collective (Bursa Su Kolektifi), criticized the decision in an interview with bianet.
Gökbayrak described the designation of a special industrial zone for a project that has not yet begun construction as a “tailor-made decision” and highlighted the pressures on Lake İznik:
“This dangerous decision to establish a paper factory ignores the region's environmental conditions. Critical environmental factors like wind patterns and water levels should have been considered, especially since the lake is on the brink of death.
“The water level has dropped to 83.5 meters, which is below the critical threshold. Drawing water from the dam for the factory at this stage would mean the lake’s destruction."
Absolute agricultural land
“The area in question consists of eight parcels, only one of which falls within the industrial zone. This parcel is approximately 252,500 square meters. However, all other parcels are designated as Absolute Agricultural Land, with fertile, arable soils. This project is being implemented on agricultural lands,” said Gökbayrak.
“This project is not new. Seven or eight years ago, the same project was attempted, but the ‘Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Positive’ decisions were annulled by the 2nd and 3rd Administrative Courts of Bursa. The annulment decision by the 3rd Administrative Court was upheld by the 14th Chamber of the Council of State.
“Given that legal processes were clearly favoring nature and environmental defenders, this time, the decision was directly made by the president.
“We are continuing both our social and legal struggle in this issue. We will remain part of this struggle. Tomorrow, all civil society defenders in Bursa will hold a press conference in the area. We urgently expect this wrong decision to be reversed. We all owe a livable world to future generations.”
Background
The Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) decisions issued in 2015 and 2018 for the paper factory, which was planned to be built 350 meters from Lake İznik, were annulled following lawsuits filed by the Bursa Bar Association.
While the 1/25,000 scale Master Development Plan (NIP) for Lake İznik was under public review, an objection by Varaka Inc. led to a section of the NIP between Döktaş and Yenisan being reclassified from agricultural to industrial land.
The majority of the area, except for parcel 108, plot 2 in Örnekköy, was removed from the scope of Law No. 5403 on Soil Protection and Land Use by the Bursa Provincial Soil Conservation Board on October 20, 2023, through Decision No. ITKK-2023/10-173.
The Provincial Soil Conservation Board had previously rejected the proposal to remove this area from the scope of Law No. 5403, citing reasons such as the parcels being part of the "Great Plain Protection Area," comprising irrigated, absolute, and fertile agricultural lands, and being within a wetland buffer zone. Despite these reasons not being addressed, the board later accepted the proposal, opening the area to non-agricultural use.
On November 13, 2023, Varaka Paper Inc. submitted a project introduction file to the Bursa Provincial Directorate of Environment, Urbanization, and Climate Change, and on December 15, 2023, the entire area (252,572.53 m²) was given a "no EIA required" decision.
The area was reclassified from agricultural to industrial land through planning changes passed by the Municipal Council, and the Bursa Provincial Directorate of Environment and Urbanization paved the way for the project.
(TY/VK)