His Excellencies,
We are writing you about a very important and urgent development in Turkey: the draft act on Nature and Biodiversity Conservation and other related legislations and implementations which pose several serious concerns with regard conserving the biodiversity of Turkey.
If this legislations and implementations continue it is going to result in permanent destruction of natural habitats and loss of species at a very large scale. At least 80% of all Key Biodiversity areas of Turkey will have no longer favorable conservation status as a result of this developments. Moreover, key populations of several threatened species will go through large declines as the developments eliminates most of the conservation measures at Turkey's protected areas as well as in other key natural habitats. This current approach of Ministry of Environment and Forestry will ease the path of investments and illegal shanty settlements across key natural habitats in Turkey. The implementation of these plans would not only cause environmental destruction on an unprecedented scale, but also massively violate of the fundemantal Human rights of up to two million people.
Against all these activities that threaten the nature and species the people of Anatolia set out from the valleys, villages, towns and various cities all through Turkey and march to Ankara. After their march that will take 40 days and 40 nights thousands are going to meet in Ankara on 21th May and shout out their demands.
Within this regard in line with the demands of “We Won’t Give Up Anatolia Movement” we unequivocally condemn these developments and call on the Turkish Government:
- to immediately withdraw the proposed draft act on “Nature and Biodiversity Conservation” and to cancel the recent amendmend at Renewable Energy Resources Act that will open up all national parks and protected sites to industrial development
- to halt the privatization of all rivers and streams in Anatolia and the construction of almost 2000 Hydro Electric Plants and dams in addition to existing 2,000 ones without any assessment of their cumulative impacts on the entire country“
- to withdraw the ecologically destructive projects such as more than 40.000 mining permits that will destroy mountains, plans for nuclear plants that will endanger future generations and the new forestry legislation that will open up forests to industrial development.
- to take the necessary measures to put an end to the violations of fundemantal Human Rights including those to food, water, housing and health
Yours sincerely,
Environmental Education of Mato Grosso Net – REMTEA
Snail Institute – iC
Environmental Education, Communication and Art Research Group - UFMT
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The Revolt of Anatolia
Our rivers, the veins of Anatolia, are under attack by hydroelectric power stations, which are rerouting the natural way of life in the rural regions of Anatolia. The rivers are being diverted from their springs into huge pipes, which flow all the way...
The Great March of Anatolia started
The peoples of Anatolia are ready to march to Ankara to put a stop to activities that destroy nature. The march that has started on April 2 from Artvin, North-East Turkey, will set out from ten other different points due coming weeks and proceed in branches that will join together in Ankara. The thousands who gather in Ankara will not return home until their demands are met.
«We shall not let go of Anatolia!» is the slogan of The Great March of Anatolia. The protestors set out from Artvin in the eastern Black Sea region, Izmir, Edremit and Muğla in the Aegean region, Antalya and Mersin in the Mediterranean region, Hasankeyf in the Southeast, Edirne in the Marmara region and; Kastamonu and Zonguldak in the western Black Sea region.
As the marchers make their way from their valleys, villages and cities towards Ankara, others in different regions and towns will joint their ranks.
The purpose of the Great March for Anatolia is to call on the Turkish Government to immediately withdraw the proposed draft legislation that will open up all national parks and protected sites to industrial development, and to halt the construction of almost 4000 Hydro Electric Plants and dams that mean the privatization of all the rivers and streams in Anatolia.
The marchers will also call on the government to withdraw from ecologically destructive projects such as more than 40 000 mining permits that will destroy mountains, plans for nuclear plants that will endanger future generations, and the new forestry legislation that will open up forests to industrial development.
«Marching to defend life»
Pervin Çoban Savran, the leader of nomads in the Taurus Mountains, who announced the Great March pointed out that profit-oriented development projects that disregard environmental costs are rapidly driving Anatolia to the brink disaster.
«Dams, hydroelectric power plants, mines, industrial activities in forests, and nuclear energy projects that disregard public good and the ancient balance of nature threaten not only nature, but also human life. The ancient balance of nature, which is now severely threatened, is essential to healthy and happy human lives.
Because we no longer believe that the current administrative system will meet our demands, we are rising to defend out rights to life by saying «no» to destruction of nature. In April 2011, we are setting out from valleys, mountains, villages, towns and cities all over Anatolia to make our way to Ankara in convoys. We are not going to return home until our demands are met.
We call on everyone in the world who believes that protecting the delicate balance of nature is a matter of human responsibility to support our movement.
For detailed information:
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Exmo Sr. Ersin Stam
E demais Exmo. Senhores Representantes do Governo da Turquia no Brasil
Cumprimentando-os e saudando-os no precioso e necessário diálogo entre o Brasil e a Turquia, apresentamo-nos como:
1. Instituto Caracol / IC, uma organização não-governamental que se dedica às causas socioambientais;
2. Grupo Pesquisador em Educação Ambiental, Comunicação e Arte / GPEA, uma equipe de pesquisa científica da Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso / UFMT; e
3. Rede Mato-Grossense de Educação Ambiental / REMTEA, que agrega as instituições acima e tantas outras, fundada em 1996 e com compromisso à dimensão socioambiental, especialmente a favor da ecologia e da vida social vulnerável.
Estamos encaminhando esta mensagem no intuito de conseguir reverter a construção da usina em Anatolia, que prejudicaria a biodiversidade local, bem como traria prejuízos socioambientais de diversas ordens, entre os quais a exclusão social.
O Brasil enfrenta os mesmo problemas e desafios, a exemplo de Belo Monte, e cumpre-nos expressar contrários a estas grandes corporações das hidrelétricas que favorecem apenas a minoria com energia, confinando outras populações a ficarem sem suas casas, biodiversidade e vidas dignas.
Assinamos o manifesto sobre a “Revolta de Anatolia” [abaixo], deixando nosso pedido para que os projetos desenvolvimentistas sejam freados, já que jamais conseguiram incorporar as dimensões sociais e ecológicas, dando ênfase no setor econômico.
Cordialmente,
Michèle Sato
iC – GPEA - REMTEA
