Gov't grants 'favors' to thermal power plants, opposition says

Serkan Alan/ DUVAR

Turkey's parliament vetoed an amendment that would have postponed legislation requiring 15 thermal power plants to install smokestack filters. Upon the veto, thermal plant operations ceased in the regions of Kahramanmaraş, Kütahya, Sivas, and Zonguldak and a plant in the province of Manisa partially closed down.

Still, a change in the legislation - which hitherto stipulated plants improve the storage of their ash waste by the end of the year - now exempts them from doing so.

The main opposition Republican People Party's (CHP) Gülizar Biçer Karaca described this exemption as a “favor” granted by the government to the thermal power plants.

“With this regulation, plants that have installed filters on their smokestacks, but have not invested in their waste storage spaces, have been spared. They tried to bend the law with this regulation,” Karaca said. 

The regulation went into effect on December 26 of last year, five days prior to the date at which thermal power plants were supposed to fully comply with the measures regarding their smokestacks and waste storage areas. 

“This has paved the way for thermal power plants, which threaten the public's health and spread toxins, to maintain terrible storage facilities. We would like to remind you that the [ruling Justice and Development Party] AKP is acting as a guarantor for these companies to avoid their responsibilities,” Karaca said, accusing the ruling party of ignoring the harm these plants cause due to insufficient inspections.