After the circular sent by the Ministry of Environment and Urbanization to the 7 provincial governorships and mayorships, relevant ministries and non-governmental organizations regarding the implementation of the 'Marmara Sea Action Plan', a mucilage mobilization started on the coasts of Bursa, as in all provinces with a coast to the Marmara Sea.
With the mucilage, which started to appear on the shores of the Marmara Sea in the second week of March and soon engulfed the whole of Marmara and dyed the sea light brown, the local struggle efforts so far turned into a regional action plan. Following the 7-item emergency action plan prepared at the meeting held by the Minister of Environment and Urbanization Murat Kurum in Kocaeli last Sunday and attended by the governors of 22 provinces, mayors and the relevant institution directorate, a simultaneous mucilage mobilization was launched on all Marmara coasts today. The Bursa leg of the works started by the Minister of Environment and Urbanization Murat Kurum from Istanbul started on the coast of Gemlik. Bursa Governor Yakup Canbolat, Metropolitan Mayor Alinur Aktaş, Gemlik Mayor Mehmet Uğur Sertaslan, AK Party Provincial President Davut Gürkan and relevant institution managers attended the mucilage cleaning event.
Marmara is all of us
Bursa Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Alinur Aktaş reminded that Bursa has a 125 km coast to the Sea of Marmara in the districts of Gemlik, Mudanya and Karacabey and said, “This beauty is the beauty of Bursa, this beauty is the beauty of Turkey. Global warming you already know. We have studies on climate change. There are many dimensions that affect and trigger this work, from household wastes to thermal wastes, agricultural wastes and industrial wastes, without connecting the subject to just one substance. This is not something to be politicized over. The Sea of Marmara is a value for all of us. At this point, Istanbul is perhaps one of the cities that discharge the most in terms of its population and scale. But each of our cities, big or small, has responsibilities that fall on all of us. We claim that we are one of the best among the provinces that have a coast to the Marmara Sea. There are distances we have to cover in relation to the industrial sector. There are definitely some issues that we are missing," he said.
Not just surface cleaning
Emphasizing that the work done should not be perceived as only surface cleaning, President Aktaş said, “We have started a cleaning move today. But we should not forget the dimensions of this business that affect it under the sea. The 22-item emergency action plan is a project that is foreseen not only for today but also for the next 3 years. I would like to thank everyone who showed sensitivity. We all have the same worries and excitement. Let the Sea of Marmara be clean and beautiful, so that our people can swim comfortably in the sea and fish easily. In addition, we have joint studies with Bursa Technical University and Uludag University. We are working on using mucilage both as a fertilizer and to prevent its formation. May God never let us face such troubles again. I sincerely thank the Minister of Environment and Urbanization and his team for this organization that took place under the presiding of our President.
7/24 cleaning
Bursa Governor Yakup Canbolat said that they have started a work that will purify the Marmara Sea from mucilage and will be based on a 7/24 basis. Canbolat said, “We hope that this study will restore Marmara to its former natural state and transform it into its natural life. We welcome everyone's input here. We expect the contribution of not only municipalities and OIZs, but also every citizen. Because preventing this pollution is not just a matter of institutions. It is a project that will proceed with the participation and support of all our citizens at all levels. This is an exciting project. For Marmara, we are all excited that Marmara will return to its natural life. Our government will also provide all kinds of support, from Organized Industrial Zones to the treatment infrastructure of our municipalities, to other facilities.”
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