Call from the TEMA Foundation before the elections: Politics should centre on ecology-based approach

The TEMA Foundation called on all political parties to adopt ecology-based approach in politics, with the Ecopolitics Document it developed before the May 14 elections, as it did before every election for 28 years. Ms. Deniz Ataç, Chairperson of the Board of Directors of the TEMA Foundation, said, “We call for politics which centre on the right to life of all living things, the interest and happiness of the society” and emphasised once again that as the Foundation, they are ready to give their best support for the protection of nature.

In the Ecopolitics Document drafted by the TEMA Foundation before the May 14, 2023 election, environmental policies proposed to protect natural assets, biodiversity and climate, in particular land, are summarised. In the document, in which the current situation was examined within the scope of climate, energy, mining, spatial policies and environmental impact assessment processes, solutions were offered by drawing attention to the key problems.

Providing information about the study, Ms. Deniz Ataç, Chairperson of the Board of Directors of the TEMA Foundation, said, “With the Ecopolitics Document we drafted, it is aimed to protect the living life, soil, water, air, pasture, forest assets, protected areas and climate in Türkiye. At the same time, while developing protection, control and holistic approaches to issues that require intervention to nature, we call for ecological policies by considering public and social benefits. We expect politicians to adopt and prioritise our recommendations based on the principle of public interest and scientific facts.”

“We should stop the destruction caused by metal mining and large urban projects”

Drawing attention to the rapid loss of agricultural lands, forests and other natural areas in Türkiye, Ms. Deniz Ataç said, “About one fifth of the existing agricultural land in Türkiye has been lost in the last 30 years, and almost half of the pastures in the last 50 years. Urgent measures must be taken to prevent all practices which lead to the misuse of agricultural lands and pastures and threaten our food safety. According to the statistics of 2021, the ratio of terrestrial and marine protected areas to the country's surface area in Türkiye is 8.7% and 4% respectively. With these rates, we rank the 133rd among 177 countries in the list of protected areas in the world. We should increase our protection areas in our country, plan the transition to clean energy, and urgently stop the destruction caused by large urban projects such as Canal İstanbul Project, the 3rd Airport and metal mining on our natural assets.”

Stating that the climate crisis is increasing its severity day by day, Ms. Ataç underlined the need for Türkiye to determine a clear policy for reducing the activities that cause greenhouse gases and adapting to the effects of climate change. Ms. Ataç also stated that a Water Law should be prepared for the maintenance and protection of water assets, and the drafted Climate Law should be revised with a view to achieving climate justice.

“We should guarantee our natural resources through a constitution that prioritise ecosystem”

Emphasising that the existing laws should be restructured with the principle of protecting natural assets, Ms. Ataç said, “Given the fact that they involve a high probability of causing serious and large-scale or long-term damage to the environment, actions committed against the law or by not taking the necessary measures should be defined as eco-crime crimes in the penal code. Our experiences have shown that laws and regulations are not sufficient to ensure the sustainability of life and ecosystem rights unless they are guaranteed by the constitution. For this reason, climate justice, ecosystem rights, protection and rehabilitation of our natural assets must be guaranteed with a constitution that prioritise ecosystem.”

“We are ready to the give the best support to protect environment”

“During the 5-year election period since 2018, the administrations should have formulated comprehensive solutions and taken decisions for the devastating consequences of the disasters due to the climate crisis and earthquake we have experienced. All of these difficult-to-solve issues reminded us once again that the ecology-based approach should be in the centre of politics.” Ms. Deniz Ataç stated that they called on the politicians to identify practices and approaches that destroy nature so that natural events do not turn into disasters, and to eliminate the policies that form the basis for them.

Saying, "There should be no choice between life and disasters in the 100th anniversary of the Republic," Ms. Ataç said, "We invite all political actors to protect the current and future life rights of all living things, and to politics that focuses on the interest and happiness of the general public. We hope that the TEMA Foundation Ecopolitics Document, which we drafted in the footsteps of our Honorary Presidents, the deceased Mr. Hayrettin Karaca and the deceased Mr. Ali Nihat Gökyiğit, who inspired us in our work, will be adopted by all politicians. As the TEMA Foundation, we would like to state that we are ready to give our best support for the protection of nature.”

We are raising hope!                                                                            TEMA Foundation