Turkish Black Sea town locals protest fifth hydroelectric plant project on same stream

Locals in Black Sea district of Hayrat protested the fifth hydroelectric power plant project on the same stream in Turkey’s Trabzon province. They said the current plants already dealt huge damage to the stream and environment.

Friday November 17 2023 09:34 pm

Photo: Fatih Saygın (Gazete Duvar)

Duvar English

Locals of Turkey’s Black Sea province of Trabzon’s Hayrat district protested the fifth hydroelectric power plant (HES) project to be built on Baltacı Stream, the daily BirGün reported on Nov. 17.

Accordingly, Ömerler Engineering Company first applied to Hayrat Municipality for the project but it was not approved. The company then received permission to build the plant from Dernekpazarı Municipality, another district where the project is located.

The other municipality's approval of the project stirred a reaction among Hayrat locals.

Residents on Nov. 16 expressed their objections at the meeting held by company officials regarding the project in the region.

Derelerini HES şirketlerinden korumaya çalışan Doğu Karadenizliler, Trabzon Hayrat’ta bir araya geldi.

Ömerler Mühendislik Şirketi’nin kurmak istediği HES için yapılan toplantıya bölge halkının protestosu damga vurduhttps://t.co/m5I0Rle2Pa pic.twitter.com/lRrrUY6ARL
— BirGün Gazetesi (@BirGun_Gazetesi) November 17, 2023

Of Hayrat Association chair İrfan Altıner told local Kuzey Ekspress news outlet that the current plants already dealt huge damage to the stream and environment.

“The natural water of the stream remained only in this section of the valley. The water of the stream is constantly decreasing every year due to climate change and the ecological balance is deteriorating. This natural stream belongs to everyone, so our sensitive people will not allow the balance and natural structure of the region to be further disrupted and the problems mentioned above to occur again,” he added.

There are several hydroelectric power plants built in Turkey’s Black Sea region, causing streams to dry and a drought problem.