Environmental Justice in Turkey

• WATCH THE CONFERENCE LIVE

As Turkey and the EU have renewed talks on EU membership, addressing the ongoing erosion of the rule of law in Turkey will be one of the major challenges of the process. Government infringements on judicial independence, as well as the blatant disrespect of existing rules and regulations becomes more obvious when it comes to environmental protection. The Turkish government has invested in several construction projects such as the building of a third airport and the third Bosphorus bridge in Istanbul, as well as several energy projects in the east of the country. Most of these projects violate environmental legislation and will have devastating effects on the eco-system. In order to raise awareness about the environmental effects of these projects and to advocate for greater compliance with EU environmental legislation, a mixed delegation of Turkish legal experts and environmental activists will visit Brussels with an aim to strengthening networks with their European counterparts. CONFERENCE PROGRAMME

Introduction

• Rebecca Harms (Greens/EFA, D), Co-President of the Green/EFA Group, Substitute Member of the Committee on Industry, Research and Energy and of the Committee on Foreign Affairs

9:30-11:00
Debate on State of rule of law in the context of environment   Moderator : Bodil Valero (Greens/EFA, S), Member of the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs, of the Committee on Petitions and of the Committee on Foreign Affairs, Green Shadow rapporteur on Turkey First input from:

• Ibrahim Kaboğlu, Professor, Chair of the Department of Constitutional Law at the Faculty of Law at Marmara University, Visiting Professor at several European universities, in particular in France /Founding president of the Constitutional Law Association (Turkey)
• Mücella Yapıcı, Architect, Engineer, BSc, Taksim Solidarity Secretary, Head of the Environment Impact Assessment Committee of the TMMOB Architects Chambers 
• Can Atalay, Lawyer, President of Social Rights Association
• Beyza Üstün,  Prof. Dr. Environmental engineering, central executive committee member of Democratic Party of the people in Turkey 
• Patrick Paquet, Deputy Head of Unit, European Commission DG NEAR
• Veronica Sabbag Afota, Policy Officer of the Turkey Desk of the EEAS

Debate among participants         11:30-13:00
Debate on Turkish environmental policies in the context of accession negotiations with the EU   Moderator: Ismail Ertug  (S&D, D), Co-President Turkey Friendship Group, Member of the Committee on Transport, Substitute Member on the Environment Committee   First input from:

• Nicholas Hanley, Head of Unit, DG ENVI
• Ioana Ciuta, Energy Coordinator, CEE Bankwatch Network
• Elif Gunduzyeli, Turkey Climate and Energy Policy Coordinator, Climate Action Network Europe
• Baran Bozoğlu Head of the Environmental Issues Research Center of the TMMOB Chamber of Environment Engineers  
• Arif Ali Cangı, Lawyer, Greens Left and Future Party      
• Merhmet Horuş, Environmental Lawyer
• Xavier Sol, Director Counter Balance  

Debate among participants Conclusion Ska Keller (Greens/EFA, D), Member of Delegation to the EU-Turkey Joint Parliamentary Committee, Committee on International Trade and substitute member on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs 18:00-20:00 Screening of the documentary “Ekümenopolis”
with the presence of the director, Imre Azem Discussion
The current situation of the Kurdish issue in the context of the film Moderator: Kristian Brakel, Representative of the Heinrich Böll Foundation Turkey Office

• Imre Azem, Director ”Ekümenopolis, city without limits!”
• Beyza Üstün, Prof. Dr. Environmental engineering, central executive committee member of Democratic Party of the people in turkey ”Destruction and re-construction!”
• Mücella Yapıcı, Architect ”Urban transformation and war”