Alarming statement from CHP's Ömer Fethi Gürer: '2,700 kilometers of drinking water pipes are made of asbestos!'

In his statement, CHP Niğde Deputy Gürer pointed to the danger regarding asbestos and asbestos-containing drinking water pipes that threaten public health.

Stating that despite being banned in 2010, asbestos continues to threaten public health, Gürer explained that the dust from asbestos materials originating from buildings demolished, especially in earthquake zones and urban transformation areas, poses a serious risk.

Gürer said, "In our towns such as Çukurkuyu and Kemerhisar, the district of Çiftlik, the town of Azatlı, and many settlements that have transitioned from municipalities to villages, drinking water is still being transported through asbestos pipes. Iller Bank stated that these pipes would be replaced, and the Ministry supported this, but no concrete steps have been taken in the 15 years that have passed."

Emphasizing that although 82 percent of the 15,000 kilometers of asbestos pipes across Turkey have been replaced, 2,700 kilometers of pipes are still carrying drinking water, Gürer stated that this situation is unacceptable in terms of human health. Expressing that the problems in settlements that have transitioned from municipalities to villages are not being recognized, Gürer stressed that these deficiencies must be addressed urgently.

Touching upon pesticides, another substance harmful to human health, Gürer evaluated the response he received from the Minister regarding a parliamentary question he submitted on the subject. Conveying that the response from the Ministry stated that notifications regarding pesticides had decreased by 50 percent, Gürer asked, ''A total of 10,044 pesticides and aflatoxins were detected in the European Union, 853 of which belong to our country, and we are in first place. In 2024, a total of 4,800 tons of fruits and vegetables were returned; there were 359 non-compliant notifications in 2023 and 492 in 2024. While there were 41 notifications by March in 2024, there are 42 notifications in March 2025. How has it decreased by 51 percent in this case?''