A press conference was held last night by the Çatalköy – Esentepe Municipality regarding the damage caused to the region by the Teknecik Power Plant. The conference was attended by Mayor Ceyhun Kırok, President of the Cyprus Turkish Electricity Authority Employees Union (EL-SEN) Ahmet Tuğcu, Chairman of the Green Peace Movement (YBH) Board of Directors Feriha Tel, as well as many citizens.
In his speech, Mayor Ceyhun Kırok stated that the Teknecik issue needs to be resolved, expressing that the situation is getting worse. Emphasizing that the purpose of the meeting was to protect social interests, Kırok stated that the data obtained from the research seriously threatens public health and that they will focus on how to address this problem. He said that with these initiatives, they will discuss what can be done best in the shortest time possible.
“CANCER CASES ARE INCREASING IN THE ÇATALKÖY – ESENTEPE REGION”
Kırok expressed that the damage caused by the Teknecik Power Plant to the environment and human health cannot be controlled, stating that they do not know what the black smoke coming from the plant is and that they have not yet fully determined the extent of the damage it causes to the environment. Drawing attention to the increasing cancer cases in the Çatalköy – Esentepe region, Kırok emphasized that in discussions with doctors, this situation may be related to environmental factors in the region.
“APPROXIMATELY 55% OF CANCER CASES IN A NEIGHBORHOOD OF 45-50 PEOPLE”
At the meeting, Kırok shared a bird’s-eye view photograph on a piece of paper, stating that in the areas marked in yellow, 15 people had died from cancer and 10 people were still undergoing treatment. Kırok said that in a neighborhood of approximately 45-50 people, there were close to 55% cancer cases, emphasizing that this was not a coincidence and that cancer cases had significantly increased throughout the region.
CALL FROM KIRAOK: FILTER SOLUTION INSUFFICIENT
Kırok stated that no study had been conducted on cancer cases after 2012-2016, and said that if the issue is not clarified, it’s not possible to blame anyone, but the focus should be on how to resolve the current situation. Noting that the situation in the region is clearly serious, Kırok expressed that he thought the filter solution alone was insufficient.
“THE CAUSE OF INCREASE IN CANCER CASES SHOULD BE INVESTIGATED”
Kırok stated that while it’s claimed that the smoke from Teknecik Power Plant is not harmful, this claim does not reflect the truth, and said that it should be investigated whether the increase in cancer cases is due to hereditary characteristics or environmental factors. He noted that deaths from natural causes had increased after 1974, with 6 people dying within just five days, 3 of whom from cancer. Kırok expressed that these data show they are taking the situation seriously and demonstrate their determination.
Kırok expressed that the power plant needs to switch to a higher quality fuel, saying that the fuel type could be diesel or natural gas, and perhaps a filtration system could be installed. However, Kırok stated that the most permanent solution would be to dismantle this power plant from this residential area and move it to another location. Kırok said they hope their suggestions will be carefully considered, adding, “We are determined about this issue.”
