Many Turkish cities hit air pollution limits, warns Greenpeace

ISTANBUL

Noting that many Turkish provinces have reached the “air pollution limits of 2022” in just four months, independent global environmental network Greenpeace said, “human lives could be in danger.”

The organization highlighted that the duration for PM10 pollution should not last for more than 35 days a year. “However, many cities reached this 35-day annual limit in the first few months of the year.”

PM10 is any particulate matter in the air with a diameter of 10 micrometers or less, including smoke, dust, soot, salts, acids, and metals.

When asked what this situation means, Gökhan Ersoy, Greenpeace Mediterranean Climate and Energy Project coordinator, said, “Authorities should immediately stop all activities causing pollution in these provinces.”

According to the report published by daily Milliyet on May 12, Doğubeyazıt district of the eastern province of Ağrı was the first region that “hit the polluted days limit” on Feb. 9.

The northwestern province of Edirne surpassed the limit on Feb. 10, the Aegean province of Denizli and the southeastern province of Batman reached the limit on Feb. 13.

Feb. 14 was the day the eastern province of Iğdır and the Altındağ district of the capital Ankara had more than 35 days of air pollution.

They were followed by the western province of İzmir’s Alsancak district on Feb. 18.

Mecidiyeköy neighborhood, one of Istanbul’s business centers, entered the list on Feb. 27.

Greenpeace, in 2021, has declared a list of 10 cities that are face-to-face with big air pollution risks.

“However, in the first four months of this year, new cities, such as, İzmir, [the Black Sea provinces of] Zonguldak, Düzce, Karabük and [the northwestern province of] Çanakkale have already surpassed the 35-day limit,” Ersoy added.