One of the oldest hoaxes of politics is this: Whenever a politician makes a mess of something for some reason, he or she slyly diverts people’s attention to another thing. They do this so that no one could say “what the hell is going on?” or even call them to account. And they do this so that things that have just fallen off the rails could be fixed up all nice without anyone noticing whatsoever, and that, if there are new rails at stake, they could be properly covered up. It is not a hard business for a politician to put up new carpets under which things can be swept. In fact, one of the other oldest hoaxes of the business of politics is to fabricate cover-ups with all shapes and size for all issues and to do this without even caring whether all these contradict each other or not.This is what has recently happened in the case of İğneada. Or should we say the Akkuyu question?
Jets shooting down Akkuyu!
Though positioned at different sides in the ongoing war in Syria, Russia and Turkey have tried not to allow this difference in belligerency to have its repercussions regarding their mutual commerce. However, with the Russian jet fighters violating Turkish airspace via Syria, quite a stir has been created between the two countries. This newly arisen tension has inescapably raised the question of the future of the Akkuyu Nuclear Plant to be built and operated by Russia. Nuclear plant protestors rejoiced in the news, hoping that “Akkuyu might get rid of the trouble amidst this turmoil,” but the President of the Republic, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, was probably one of the people who began to feel uneasy about the future of Akkuyu, as he made the following statement, where he felt the need to caution (!) Russia: “If they don’t build Mersin Akkuyu, someone else would come and do it. They have already made a three billion dollar investment there. So it is Russia that must be more sensitive in this issue. We are the number one natural gas consumer of Russia. To lose Turkey would be a huge loss. If required, Turkey can also provide natural gas from very different sources.”1
Naturally, Erdoğan never did mention the possibility of Turkey really being kept in the dark if Russia decided to switch off valves to shut off the flow of natural gas to its neighbor. But it was not just the matter of natural gas that was at stake. Russia, for example, could say: “I will not buy the citrus fruits you produce. Go and find yourself another market!” And this indeed became a reality. But no attention has been paid to this issue, either. This is another rule of politics: Behave as if the whole world is in need of your own country!
Rosatom: No change in Akkuyu
On October 9, a day after Erdoğan’s statement, Taner Yıldız, the former Minister of Energy and Natural Resources, lowered the degree of the tension only a little: “The Russian Federation is having a business transaction. Therefore, in the event that such a project is put under jeopardy here, and I don’t quite think that it would happen, it is a fact that the Russian Federation would lose money.”2 The emphasis in this statement was on the sub-sentence, “I don’t quite think that it [the project] would happen,” and he also hastened to add that the Rosatom authorities had stated that this project would not be affected by this crisis.
Where are these three billion dollars?
In spite of the decrease in tension, a mess has already been made anyway. It has turned out that, despite all the years that have passed, there is no concrete project for Akkuyu! If steps had been taken to initiate the project and some progress had been made, it would not be possible to say “if you don’t do it, another one can do it.” This would amount to changing technology, which is not possible, especially in the case of a nuclear power station. Yet this was not the only thing that leaked out. In his column in the daily Birgün, the journalist Özgür Gürbüz pointed out to an issue probably overlooked by most of us.3 There was nothing else other than the central building of Akkuyu NGS, their information offices in Mersin and Büyükeceli and expenditures for the spot film, and the project did not yet start. So where were these three billion dollars that were mentioned by Erdoğan spent?
The remaining option: İğneada
This being the case, it was necessary to distract attention in order to prevent an increase in the number of people inquiring into the issue, even if this number would be only one or two. The remaining option was İğneada, coming to the rescue whenever a trouble is run into in the nuclear field. Ali Rıza Alaboyun, the Minister of Energy and Natural Resources for the temporary government serving for two months between the two elections, happened to say that they would “probably” construct the third nuclear plant in İğneada. However, the conspicuous detail in this statement was, as implied also by his use of the adjective “probably,” the claim that steps were starting to be taken to hold negotiations with companies for the prospective nuclear plant, even though no conclusive step was taken to specify İğneada as the location. Here is how Alaboyun depicted these negotiations: “As for the third plant, a memorandum of understanding has been signed with the Chinese and the American Westinghouse company. They are now conducting research, but of course this does not mean that this is not open to other firms. We are holding negotiations with those who are interested in making a bid. The Japanese also have an interest and we want the technology of this nuclear facility to be the same.”4
Message to Russia
As a matter of fact, this was not a worthwhile statement. For it was not certain whether the nuclear plant would be really constructed or whether its location would really be İğneada. There was just an intention. Although the names of some companies were mentioned, the overall statements were extremely ambiguous. Moreover, it was rather noteworthy that Russia was not mentioned among the countries interested in building the third nuclear plant. And this brought to mind the likelihood that Turkey tried to get a message across to Russia, with which it currently had tense relations: “There are many slices in our cake and there are many suitors. You can take a slice only if you have a head on your shoulders!”
When the issue of the third nuclear plant received negative reactions on social media and then from the press, no new statement was made about the matter. As the saying goes, two birds had been killed with one stone. The message was not only given to the relevant country but also people’s attention was diverted to İğneada. The operation was finished.
The real crisis, however, broke out on November 24. On account of a violation of airspace, Turkey shot down a Russian jet. Then we all watched the ensuing commotion. What remained after this tumult were the strained relations between the two countries that verged on the breaking point, a Turkey getting deeper and deeper in the Middle East swamp and a package of economic sanctions signed by Putin against Turkey. In addition, there was the statement made by Alexander Kurdin, the Director of the Department of Strategic Studies in Energy at the Analytical Center for the Government of the Russian Federation: “The Akkuyu Nuclear Power Station project will not be totally cancelled, but political developments could lead to a delay in the project.”5 Thus the Turkish Stream pipeline project was shelved.
The Impossibility of a nuclear plant in İğneada
Briefly stated, things have completely gotten off the rails in Akkuyu. For this very reason, it is the case that Sinop and İğneada are more frequently mentioned in relation to this development despite the fact that no decision has been taken to built a nuclear plant in İğneada6 and that, according to the Thrace Regional Plan and the State Council’s decisions, it is not possible to construct power plants not only in İğneada, but also in the whole Thrace region,. As we have said, this is all perception management!
It should not be forgotten that, even though it is legally impossible to build a nuclear plant in İğneada, it is difficult to prevent the political powers that be from declaring the ‘good’ news that they are going to build the İğneada nuclear plant. Even if a nuclear plant cannot and will not be made, this, unfortunately, does not mean that they would not try taking up this business, that they would not disturb the ecological balance during the construction process, that they would not enter into an agreement with a country and, finally, that they would not leave people holding the burden of material compensation that might ensue for reneging on the agreement when the nuclear plant construction were to be left unfinished for some reason.
Bulgaria protects; Turkey annihilates
Meanwhile, the people living in the region and ecologists are quite worried. What gives them worry are not just the above-mentioned issues. The most frequently mentioned issue is the deep spot (longoz) forests in İğneada. Deep spot forests, also known as “flooding” (subasar) forests, are special ecosystems that occur where the river builds up as a consequence of the sand brought by streams into the sea, thus forming a coastal levee and closing off the mouth of the stream. These rarely found forests are located in Turkey only in İğneada (Kırklareli), Sarıkum (Sinop) and Acarlar (Sakarya). The deep spot forests in İğneada are the largest ones in Europe and the second largest in the world after the Amazons.
Bulgaria and the rest of the world know the value of these unique forests. The deep spot forests located within the Bulgarian part of the Strandzha Mountains are under the protection of the World Network of Biosphere Reserves Site specified by UNESCO and Natura 2000, the ecological protection network within the EU’s boundaries. The deep spot forests in Turkey and the creatures living in these forests are under the threat of marble quarries; and, despite the State Council’s decision, of five thermal plants, and the possibility of a nuclear plant.
Life source
In terms of animal diversity, İğneada is also very rich. More than half of the bird species and 57% of all mammal species in Turkey live here. İğneada also hosts 184 endangered bird species. In accordance with the Berne Convention on the Conservation of European Wildlife and Natural Habitats to which it is a party, Turkey has to protect these 184 endangered species. Within the scope of these deep spot forests, there are in total 544 plant species, three of which are endemic and eleven of which are globally endangered; 310 insect species; 28 fish species; and 17 reptile species.
İğneada is a life source. It supplies drinking water not only for the creatures in nature but also for the whole region of Thrace. It has numerous natural attractions. Some people here earn their living by fishery and ecological agriculture and this place has also high potential for ecotourism.
A possible nuclear plant construction and the erection of transmission lines extending for miles and miles, distributing electricity to be produced at the plant, would definitely harm these deep spot forests. The substitution of the fresh water in deep forests by the salty water coming from the sea would annihilate creatures. Moreover, the fresh water sources of the Thrace region would evaporate and fishery would receive a blow.
Radiation knowing no limits
When it comes to the issue of nuclear plant, one usually speaks of the geographical attractions and the vital significance of the place upon which a plant is planned to be constructed. But there are limits to this emphasis aiming at raising awareness. It has to be particularly emphasized that reactions taking the form of questions such as “how can one build a nuclear plant in this paradise?” do not implicitly mean that one could build a nuclear plant if this place were not like a paradise. This is because a nuclear plant does not just affect the location where it is situated; the radiation generated in a probable accident knows no urban or territorial limits.
What if an accident happens?
In the modeling study carried out by the Chamber of Environmental Engineers regarding the nuclear plant that might be constructed in İğneada, it was found that in a case of accident, the whole of the Thrace region, İstanbul and north Aegean region, i.e., agricultural fields, olive groves and touristic centers would be massively affected. The western Black Sea region, the coastal Aegean region and the coastal Mediterranean region would not also be able to escape from radiation clouds.
One must immediately stress that a probable accident would not only affect Turkey but also many other countries. İğneada is only twelve kilometers away from the Bulgarian border. Greece, the Balkan countries, Mediterranean countries and especially Bulgaria are also under threat. Bulgaria has already articulated its concern about the nuclear plant. Metin Feyzioğlu, the Head of the Union of the Turkish Bar Associations, issued a call for solidarity against the nuclear threat to the bars of neighboring countries with reference to the nuclear plant planned to be built in Sinop. He received a reply from Bulgaria. The Union of the Bulgarian Bar Associations stated that they are absolutely against the idea of installing a nuclear plant, pointing to the Chernobyl disaster as their main justification: “As a neighboring country, we are worried with regard to a probable nuclear accident.”7 This is Bulgaria’s concern only about the nuclear plant planned to be built in Sinop. And it is not difficult at all to guess that they would much more vehemently oppose a nuclear plant for İğneada, which is very near their border with Turkey.
Don’t underestimate your neighbor
Don’t ever say “what would it take if neighboring countries opposed Turkey’s nuclear plants?” For one thing, they can apply pressure on Turkey in the international level. EU countries, notably Bulgaria and Greece, and the Republic of Cyprus and Armenia are parties to the Convention on Environmental Impact Assessment in a Transboundary Context (ESPOO). The aim of this convention is to assess, with the participation of contracting states and the public, the project phase of activities that might lead to pollution in a transboundary context. And to no one’s surprise, Turkey is not a party to this convention! And when we also take into account the fact that the International Atomic Energy Agency has found Turkey’s nuclear infrastructure to be insufficient, thus giving no credit to it, it can be easily understood that the sanction power of neighboring countries against Turkey in the international arena should not be underestimated at all.
However, the only way to stop nuclear plants is not to wait for the inevitable opposition by neighboring peoples to possible nuclear plants in Turkey, but to cooperate with them in this respect. And international cooperation is not as hard as it first seems. In contrast to the hoaxes of politicians, the greatest power of the people is to come together when life is at stake.
1 “Erdoğan: Akkuyu’yu başkası yapar”, 8 October 2015, www.aljazeera.com.tr/haber/erdogan-akkuyuyu-baskasi-yapar (last access date 21 December 2015).
2 Taner Yıldız’dan nükleer santral açıklaması”, Habertürk, 9 October 2015. www.haberturk.com/ekonomi/enerji/haber/1138001-taner-yildizdan-nukleer-… (last access date 21 December 2015).
3 Özgür Gürbüz, “3 milyar dolar nereye harcandı?”, BirGün, 16 October 2015, www.birgun.net/haber-detay/3-milyar-dolar-nereye-harcandi-92490.html (last access date 21 December 2015).
4 Hazal Ocak, “İğneada’ya nükleer darbesi”, Cumhuriyet, 14 October 2014, www.cumhuriyet.com.tr/haber/cevre/388237/igneada_ya_nukleer_darbesi.html (last access date 21 December 2015).
5 Alexander Kurdin: “Nükleer santral iptal olmaz, ama ertelenebilir”, Hürriyet, 26 November 2015, www.hurriyet.com.tr/alexander-kurdin-nukleer-santral-iptal-olmaz-ama-er… (last access date 21 December 2015).
6 Hüseyin Şimşek, “Hangisi yalan söylüyor?”, BirGün, 16 October 2015, www.birgun.net/haber-detay/hangisi-yalan-soyluyor-92466.html (last access date 21 December 2015).
7 “Sinop’ta yapılmak istenen nükleer santrale komşular da tepkili”, BirGün, 9 November 2015, www.birgun.net/haber-detay/sinop-ta-yapilmak-istenen-nukleer-santrale-k… (last access date 21 December 2015).
