STORY: Experts warn industrial pollution endangers Türkiye's Thrace region
SHOOTING TIME: Jan. 21, 2025
DATELINE: Feb. 8, 2025
LENGTH: 00:01:52
LOCATION: ISTANBUL, Türkiye
CATEGORY: ENVIRONMENT

SHOTLIST:
1. various of Tekirdag city in Türkiye
2. various of agricultural lands in Tekirdag
3. various of Halim Orta
4. SOUNDBITE 1 (Turkish): HALIM ORTA, Academic at Tekirdag Namik Kemal University
5. various of farmers planting and harvesting wheat in the field in Türkiye
6. various of Murat Kapikiran
7. SOUNDBITE 2 (Turkish): MURAT KAPIKIRAN, Head of the Istanbul Chamber of Agricultural Engineers

STORYLINE:

Experts warn that Türkiye's Thrace region, once renowned for its fertile farmlands, faces devastating environmental and economic consequences of rapid industrialization.

Thrace, the European part of the country, known for its diverse agricultural output like cereals, vegetables, fruits, tobacco, sunflower seeds and wine, plays a key role in both domestic consumption and export markets of Türkiye.

Meanwhile, covering merely 3 percent of Türkiye's land area, the region is also home to nearly a quarter of its population and the industrial heartland with a significant concentration of factories around the Sea of Marmara.
The Ergene River, once vital for Thrace's agriculture, is now heavily polluted, making it unusable for irrigation. 
Amid industrial pollution, a deep-sea discharge system was launched in 2020 to discharge treated wastewater from the Ergene River Basin into the Sea of Marmara. The system extends about 4.5 km offshore, with wastewater discharged at a depth of 47 meters.
Still, experts painted a grim future for Thrace, saying current measures have not fully addressed the pollution.

SOUNDBITE 1 (Turkish): HALIM ORTA, Academic at Tekirdag Namik Kemal University
"Farmers and producers can no longer compete with industry here, as the land has shifted from being a tool for production to a means of speculative profit. As a result, we are losing ground every day, and the situation is becoming increasingly dire."

"In Tekirdag alone, 3,280 factories contribute significantly to pollution, further straining agricultural lands already burdened by the impacts of climate change," Orta said.
Orta said the discharge system "is nearly impossible to completely treat industrial waste, as harmful substances, such as heavy metals and carcinogens, persist in the water."

"The situation requires immediate action," said Murat Kapikiran, head of the Istanbul Chamber of Agricultural Engineers, calling for establishing advanced biological treatment plants in all polluting industries and shifting to organic farming to curb chemical contamination of groundwater.

SOUNDBITE 2 (Turkish): MURAT KAPIKIRAN, Head of the Istanbul Chamber of Agricultural Engineers
"It is essential to ensure that agricultural pesticides are not used, especially in water basins, and to promote the transition to ecological organic farming in these areas. Scientific research should also focus on preventing these substances from contaminating groundwater and eventually reaching the seas. Moreover, the use of organic pesticides should be actively encouraged. Local governments have significant responsibilities in managing household waste as well."

"The Ergene River has effectively turned into a waste conduit, with the Corlu branch bearing the brunt of the damage," Murat Sevgi, chairman of the Environmental and Health Commission of the City Council in Corlu, Tekirdag Province, commented in a recent media report.
With numerous industrial plants lining the river, the government must take immediate action, Sevgi said. 
Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Istanbul, Türkiye.
(XHTV)