As TÜBİTAK Marmara Research Center, in addition to the scientific studies we carry out, we provide opinions to all public institutions on requested issues.
TÜBİTAK MAM Environment and Clean Production Institute has submitted an opinion on the "Canal Istanbul Project / EIA application file" dated February 27, 2018, upon the request of the Ministry of Environment and Urbanization, General Directorate of Environmental Impact Assessment, Permit and Inspection.
On 25/10/2019, our opinion was requested again for the draft EIA report prepared after the opinions received from other institutions and organizations that are members of the Commission.
In this context, the EIA Report, which has not been finalized, has been examined by our institute and no positive or negative opinion has been expressed on whether the Canal Istanbul Project should be built or not. In this sense, the news in the press over the relevant report that "TÜBİTAK is against Canal Istanbul" is a complete distortion and does not reflect the truth.
Our suggestions and contributions to some sections of the draft EIA report have been extended to the entire report, taken out of context with ulterior motives, and subjected to biased and incorrect political interpretations.
The opinion of our Authority is given for the EIA report which has not been finalized and has not been suspended. The content of the EIA report has been evaluated within the framework of the methods used, assumptions and references made in the report and suggestions have been made to eliminate the deficiencies in the report. As a result, the opinions given are not related to the construction of the Project. They are a contribution to the shaping of the final EIA report.
As a matter of fact, following the written opinions submitted, detailed face-to-face interviews were held with representatives of more than 50 institutions and organizations at the Review and Evaluation Commission meeting held by the Ministry of Environment and Urbanization on November 28, 2019, and all opinions were evaluated. As a result of the Commission meeting, with the positive opinion of TÜBİTAK MAM, the EIA report was deemed sufficient and suspended.
It is regrettable that the EIA report preparation processes carried out by the Ministry of Environment and Urbanization with a participatory approach in order to obtain comprehensive scientific opinions have been taken out of context and subjected to political distortions. As a result of the preparatory processes, the opinions gathered contributed to the final report and should be appreciated in terms of scientific study methodology, but unfortunately, they were used for political polemics through our organization. At the end of all processes, the final decision on the report will be announced by the Ministry of Environment and Urbanization, and we are pleased that the opinions of our organization contributed to the preparation of the report.
Respectfully announced to the public.
