The final bend for forests, water and soil

Gökay Başcan

The omnibus bill, prepared in line with the demands of mining and energy monopolies, will begin to be discussed today in the Industry, Trade, Energy and Natural Resources Commission. Environmental activists, environmental organisations and experts are reacting to the bill, which ties the approval of all projects that will destroy nature to the Palace and paves the way for the destruction of olive groves. Environmental activists from across the country are heading to Ankara to call on AKP MPs who submitted the bill to Parliament to withdraw it, while also preparing for protests ahead of the committee meeting.

As reactions to the bill continue, the TEMA Foundation has also issued a statement on the matter. In a statement by Deniz Ataç, Chairman of the TEMA Foundation Board of Directors, it was emphasised that the bill not only facilitates investment in certain sectors, but also weakens nature conservation policies and completely disregards the public's, especially the local community's, right to have a say.

DEFORESTATION AUTHORITY NOW WITH MAPEG

Ataç noted that forest areas are being transferred to MAPEG, stating, “In this scenario, an institution without expertise in forestry will be responsible for monitoring both the damage caused to the forest and the rehabilitation efforts being carried out while mining operations continue. Olive groves are the most valuable agricultural areas protected by special legislation in Turkey. The current law prohibits the construction of facilities emitting dust and smoke within 3 km of olive groves. However, the new regulation effectively eliminates this protection.”

PROTECTED AREAS ARE BEING OPENED UP TO DEVELOPMENT

Ataç noted that the bill submitted to the Turkish Grand National Assembly not only threatens forests and olive groves but also seriously endangers protected areas where mining activities should be completely prohibited. He particularly highlighted the regulations concerning natural and historical sites. He emphasised that the provision in the bill stating that applications submitted in these areas will be deemed approved if no response is given within 3-4 months is extremely concerning, and said, ‘The decisions made today will also determine our future.’

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THREATENING THE RIGHT TO LIFE

The İstanbul Branch of the Chamber of Environmental Engineers also called for the proposal to be withdrawn in a statement on the matter. The statement said: "If the proposal is enacted in its current form, it will cause irreversible damage to ecosystems and violate Turkey's international environmental obligations. We call on lawmakers and the government to

• Withdraw the omnibus bill proposal that would disrupt ecological balance and cause irreparable harm in the name of accelerating investments that would benefit short-term and specific groups,

• Expand and strengthen EIA processes, and implement regulations that facilitate rather than hinder public participation,

• Place natural areas under absolute protection,

• Revoke emergency expropriation powers,

• Make oversight mechanisms independent and transparent, and ensure the effective participation of professional associations, local governments, and civil society components in decisions regarding the protection and management of natural resources.

Protecting nature, life, and the rights of all segments of society is the guarantee of the future. This approach, which disregards environmental impact assessment processes that should be conducted using scientific methods and strengthened with public participation in order to protect capital, also threatens the right to life of future generations. As the İstanbul Branch of the Chamber of Environmental Engineers, we will continue our determination to protect our living spaces, ecosystems, and democratic rights.

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WE NEED FORESTS, WATER, AND FOOD!

Prof. Dr. Doğanay Tolunay, a faculty member at İstanbul Cerrahpaşa University's Faculty of Forestry, summarised his views as follows: "There have been similar initiatives regarding olive groves in the past. The most significant issue with the provisions regarding olive groves in the bill is the attempt to create provisions targeting specific individuals, institutions, and companies. This goes against the logic of lawmaking; laws cannot be made specifically for individuals or companies. The justification of coal-fired thermal power plants is also problematic. Using the example of power outages in Portugal/Spain, it was explained that renewable energy has an intermittent production character, and that coal-fired power plants, which produce continuously and reliably, can prevent such outages. However, the cause of the power outage is unclear. Article 4 of the proposal provides for the granting of permits in state forests to MAPEG without compensation, and for the transfer of mining activities in the permitted forests to MAPEG.

CONSTITUTIONALLY UNLAWFUL

According to Article 169 of our Constitution, “No activity or action that may harm forests shall be permitted” and “The state shall enact the necessary laws and take the necessary measures for the protection and expansion of forests.” As can be seen, Article 4 of the proposal is unconstitutional.

The most critical provision is the committee chaired by the Vice President, composed of ministers from the relevant ministries and ministers from ministries authorised to decide on permits.

In conclusion, this is a bill that prioritises companies, whose justifications even contradict each other, disregards the rights of nature, ecosystems, the living beings inhabiting them, and villagers; transfers the authority to grant mining permits in all forests of the country to MAPEG; ignores the 2053 net zero emissions target; a bill that is unaware of the importance of forests and ecosystems in combating climate change, and prioritises energy supply security over water and food supply security in our country. Our country needs forests, water, and food just as much as it needs energy and minerals, if not more.”

Note: This article is translated from the original article titled “Orman, su ve toprak için son viraj” published in BirGün newspaper on June 19, 2025.