‘There are Some Making an Effort to Turn Forests into Concrete,' Says Erdoğan

* Photograph: Murat Çetinmühürdar / Presidency / AA

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Ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) Chair and President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan made a statement at the "Symposium on Local Administrations in Presidency Government System" today (January 9).

Referring to other political parties in the context of General Local Elections to be held on March 31, Erdoğan stated, "City means civilization. Some people view civilization as a physical structure or cultural climate."

Erdoğan expressed his 'sensitivity' for environment in following words: "There are some who have been making an effort to turn the coasts of our seas and forests into concrete. Ah, this thing called money... How much it is capable of... That capitalism... It doesn't care what happens to nature."

"They couldn't resolve strike in İzmir, we postoned it"

Regarding the İzmir Suburban Railway (İZBAN) workers, whose strike was postponed as per a Presidential Decree yesterday, Erdoğan said,

"There was a strike in İZBAN in İzmir. We saw that they couldn't resolve it, we have postponed it for two months. 50 percent of it was undertaken by the state and the other half by the municipality.

"The strike there has been postponed for two months. Because I am authorized to postpone it for only two months, then, the committee of arbitrators... You don't have the right to dismay the nation."

CLICK - İZBAN Strike Stopped by Presidential Decree

"We will start producing hemp again"

In his speech at the symposium, Erdoğan also addressed the recent deposit system imposed on the use of plastic bags. Stating that "they have started a war against plastic bags," Erdoğan said,

"I remember that my dear mother would knit (market) net at home. We would go and do our shopping with this net. It has a friendship with the soil. They used to knit it using hemp. We destroyed hemp in our country.

"They used to weave undershirts and vests from hemp. Because it is very different when it comes to absorbing sweat. The frenemies took the production of hemp from my country. We, now, import hemp from abroad.

"If something needs to be done by using hemp, we do it with the imported hemp. But, now, our Ministry of Agriculture has been working on this issue and we will take these steps. We will produce it again." (PT/SD)