Muğla Water Initiative established for the right to water

Following a process that began with a joint press statement made by 72 organizations across Muğla in front of the State Hydraulic Works (DSİ) building, the Muğla Water Initiative (MSİ) was established.

WATER CRISIS IN THE REGION

Following the severe water shortage experienced in Bodrum last summer, civil society organizations active in the region took action, and the DSİ had cited the water allocation protocols made with companies operating thermal power plants as the reason for the water shortage.

Civil society organizations protested the fact that the DSİ was allocating dam and groundwater to thermal power plants while, according to the Water Allocation Regulation, it should primarily meet the public's drinking and utility water needs, and they held a press conference. In the statement, a call was made to the DSİ to cancel the protocols, and 456 citizens submitted petitions to the institution with the same demand. 

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The organizations participating in the action decided to fight against the seizure of the right to water across Muğla in all its dimensions and began organizational efforts. After the organizational efforts were completed, a founding declaration dated December 28, 2023, was published.

"IT IS CLEAR THAT MUCH WORSE DAYS AWAIT THE WORLD IN THE FUTURE"

The founding declaration is as follows:

"Not long ago, in 1948, when it was believed that water resources were infinite and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights was signed, it did not even cross anyone's mind to recognize water as a human right. In the mere 60 years that have passed, with the encirclement of common water assets by capital, the world's water resources have begun to be rapidly destroyed and polluted.

The peoples most affected by the decrease in water, which is necessary for the life of all living things, stood up and started a great struggle for water to be recognized as a human right. By 2010, the United Nations finally recognized the right to water as a human right. However, this legal achievement was not enough to prevent the encirclement carried out around water resources through state-capital cooperation. As long as this encirclement cannot be lifted, it is clear that much worse days await the world in the future.

"WE PROTESTED THE DSİ"

Water wars have already begun. As citizens living in the Muğla region, we are also feeling the consequences of unfair water management more deeply every year. Last summer, the Milas and Bodrum regions experienced a severe water shortage due to the allocation of groundwater and dam water, which is a human right, to thermal power plants by the DSİ. Civil society organizations and nature lovers from many districts of Muğla came together to oppose this injustice. In our press statement on 08.11.2023, we said that the water from Muğla's water budget that is provided to these companies for free is primarily the right of people and all living things, and we protested the DSİ. We asked the DSİ to cancel the water allocation protocols it made with the companies operating the thermal power plants, and we submitted petitions to the DSİ for this purpose.

The seizure of our right to water is not limited to water allocations to thermal power plants. There are many other dimensions to the privatization and commodification of water, which is a public asset. We are experiencing many problems together, such as the privatization of water resources to bottle and sell water, the destruction of aquifers, the forests that protect them, and streams due to licenses given to mining companies without limits, and the pollution of water through industrial use before it is returned to nature. We, who came together over the seizure of water by thermal power plants, evaluated the necessity of a strong struggle against this multi-dimensional seizure and continued our work to transform our unity into an organized struggle. As of today, when we have completed our founding efforts, we are happy to share with the public that we will continue our struggle under the name of the Muğla Water Initiative.

"IT IS ESSENTIAL THAT THE PUBLIC DECIDES HOW WATER WILL BE MANAGED"

Our goal is to fight with a political perspective against the commercialization of water, the seizure of waters and aquatic systems, and the damage caused to them in Muğla, Turkey, and the world, and to defend life. Our demand is to decide on the present and future of Muğla's water together with those living in the region, as Muğla residents who are the concrete counterpart of the nature and living things of which we are a part.

In the struggle we will carry out for this purpose, we base our actions on the following principles: Water is a life element for all living things, including humans, and is a right of nature; it cannot be sold, water and water basins cannot be commercialized or seized, and activities that damage water resources cannot be permitted. Water from basins that feed ecosystems cannot be transported elsewhere in a way that disrupts the balance of ecosystems. The management of water is political. The political direction of water activism is determined by the needs of people and ecosystems; no political party, formation, real or legal person is decisive. It is essential that the public decides how water will be managed. The Muğla Water Initiative bases its operations on participation and gender equality, produces decisions together in line with the principles of participatory democracy, and carries out its work with a pluralistic understanding.

We are also aware that the commercialization of water and the seizure of water resources are not just a local problem of Muğla. With policies determined by the state hand-in-hand with capital, our commons are being made available for the use of capital. We know that water resources, which are public assets, are being attempted to be seized in the same way not only in Muğla or our country, but everywhere in the world. We are aware that the commercialization of water and the seizure of water resources are not only the problem of Muğla, but also of our country and the world. In this sense, it is out of the question for us to stand apart from the struggles carried out at the local, national, and international levels 'so that the earth remains a common living space for all living things.' We invite all civil society organizations and citizens in Muğla to lend a hand to grow our common struggle for the right to water and turn it into a 'city defense'."