Minister says Turkey more green than Europe

ISTANBUL - Doğan News Agency

Minister of Environment Erdoğan Bayraktar opens a park in Istanbul. AA photo

On World Environment Day, Minister of Environment and Urban Planning Erdoğan Bayraktar said Turkey was more advanced than Europe on environmental issues.

Bayraktar was speaking at a park opening ceremony which was the part of the World Environment Day events held yesterday in Istanbul.

“The world is a small planet and polluted easily, but when it gets dirty it is not easy to clean. Europe has polluted its land with industrialization. They gathered in Stockholm in 1972 and said ‘the world is getting polluted, global warming and the greenhouse effect are increasing. Where will this lead?’ Petrol, fossil fuel, and coal are leaving carbon dioxide in the air which risks the lives of all creatures.

That’s why they established World Environment Day. The world is spending large amounts of money to keep the world clean, but even under these conditions we are much more advanced than Europe,” Bayraktar said.

Third bridge

Bayraktar also gave information about the park that was being opened. A unit of area equal to 24,000 square meters was used for the park he said, adding that 10,000 square meters were green-field.

“We are trying to open some free space for our people to breath. Fatih is one of the oldest settlements in the world. In the age of the Byzantine Empire, this area used to be a great underground tank, with a big effort we have turned this place into a park,” he said.

Bayraktar then attended a symposium on urban transformation at Koç University, where he responded to criticism on the third bridge project on the Bosphorus. “The third bridge is crucial for Istanbul. It will contribute to Turkey’s economy while enriching Istanbul’s green fields,” the minister said.