Ecotopia under threat in Turkey.

international | environment | news report

Saturday August 23, 2008 12:45

by EYFA

Armed Police are threatening to remove environmentalist gathering at Sarikum nature reserve.

The participants of the 20th Ecotopia international environmentalist gathering at Sarikum nature reserve, Sinop, on the Turkish Black Sea coast, are awaiting and preparing for forceful eviction of their campsite by the Jandarma (Turkish Police), which are already present with undercover agents and several cars. The 70 participants from over 30 countries will peacefully resist this unjustified raid. The offical reason for the announced eviction was the announcement of the intention to take part in the weekly permitted press conference of the local anti-nuclear initiative SİNYAD (Sinop Nükleersiz Kent ve Yaşam Derneği

Approximately 10 armed officers, ordered by the governor of Sinop, had already raided the camp on Friday to threaten forceful eviction if the site was not emptied within 3 hours. Later, this deadline was postponed to the next morning. Two days before, six participants of the camp together with local activists were arrested during an action in front of the office of the Turkish Nuclear Energy Agency (TAEK) in Sinop. After only ten minutes of spreading flyers and holding a banner, they were physically aggressed by undercover police without any prior warning. They were held in a police station for several hours and fined for not obeying police orders. Police have also shown supression towards locals of Gerze town who approached the Ecotopia gathering to request solidarity against the Thermal Coal Plant planned for construction in their town.

"We are shocked by the behaviour of the police and local authorities who did not allow any peaceful protest to happen. They have also been constantly threatening participants of the camp and denying them, as well as locals, the right to publically express their opinion. Now they have cancelled the camp with the order of governer just because we announced that we would like to take part in an officially permitted anti-nuclear protest. This is not what we consider to be freedom of speech! ", says Lenka Kukurova, representative of European Youth for Action (EYFA), the network that supports the Ecotopia gatherings.

The protests are directed against the plans to build a NuclearTechnology Centre in the Sinop region. The 20^th international Ecotopiagathering is taking place in Turkey this year, to support local movements to keep Turkey free of nuclear power. Participants of the camp are members of environmentalist movements worldwide. They want to draw attention to the fact that nuclear energy is dangerous, polluting andexpensive. Instead of investing in nuclear technology, Turkey should use its great potential for solar and wind power, as well as increasing energy efficiency.

For more information, please contact the Ecotopia spokesperson, NiklasHartmann, on 0090 5384943498 or by e-mail at ecotopia@eyfa.org

save preference

Comments (3 of 3)

30 arrested at die-in action in Sinop

by EYFA - EYFA

Sat Aug 23, 2008 17:55

Sinop (Turkey), 23rd of August. This afternoon, Turkish police arrested 30 foreigners from at least 18 countries and 3 Turkish citizens who took part in a peaceful "die-in" action in front of the Sinop province Governor`s residence in Sinop.

The protests are directed against the plans to build a Nuclear Technology Centre in the Sinop region. Participants are members of environmentalist movements worldwide. They want to draw attention to the fact that nuclear energy is dangerous, polluting and expensive. Instead of investing in nuclear technology, Turkey should use its great potential for solar and wind power, as well as increasing energy efficiency.

"The Turkish state seems to be very afraid of their citizens learning how dangerous nulear power is. That is why authorities do not tolerate any protest, especially when foreigeners are involved. We are seriously concerned about the denial of freedom of speech in Turkey.", says Niklas Hartmann from Germany.

On request of the German Embassy the Sinop Police Headquarters claimed that nobody was taken under custody.

updates from last night

Sun Aug 24, 2008 10:54

22:54h.
The 32 arrested people are sitting at the police station still. There is no official statement of arrest or custody. When embassies asked for information on arrestants police actually denied to have taken people into custody(...).
The group has been split into smaller groups and taken to hospital for the compulsory check on torture and is now back at the station. They have been refused access to their lawyer, a certified translator and to contact their embassy and even access to food and water.
Rumours have it that our lawyer was told by the police that people didn't want to see him.

People have been asked to sign papers in Turkish without translation. Before the promised release they will have to see a prosecutor, even though they are not formally arrested.

23.20h: first group of 6 people got released, probably because they signed the papers. We'll deal with it now.

To be continued...

01:25h.
Everybody followed by undercover police all the time. Several people picked from the street that had nothing to do with the action! Finally, nobody has seen the prosecuter, but everybody out now. Police wanted to deport us from town back to camp site before everybody was released. Situation was really threatening. People now staying with trade unions. More tomorrow.

Solidarity from Aotearoa/New Zealand!

by AotearoaAnarchist

Mon Aug 25, 2008 12:12

Hope all go through this safely. Solidarity and best wishes!

Upcoming Events

New Events

Other Press

User Preferences

Feeds

Blog Feeds

Anti-Empire

The Saker

Public Inquiry

Ecotopia under threat in Turkey.

Comments (3 of 3)