Message on environment and democracy from the Kemalist Enlightenment Association in İzmir

The Kemalist Enlightenment Association, along with its board members, met with its members and environmentally conscious listeners at the Environment and Democracy Panel held in Aliağa, İzmir, on Sunday, January 19. Association President Kemal Anadol, who delivered the opening speech of the panel, emphasized the meaning of Kemalism and contemporary approaches to environmental issues.

Ferzan Kayra, a member of the Kazdağları Ecology Platform and Kazdağları Brotherhood, one of the key speakers at the panel, addressed the ecological problems in the region as an environmental activist. Kayra spoke about the destruction caused in Kazdağları by the cutting down of one million trees before the Council of State reports were even awaited. Furthermore, she issued a call for participation in the major environmental protest to be held on January 26 against Cengiz Holding's gold mine project.

Another speaker at the panel, Dilek Akagün, a 24th-term CHP Uşak Deputy and lawyer, discussed the effects of mining activities carried out in Uşak on the environment and society. Akagün pointed out the importance of legal struggle against the plundering of natural resources and stated that the local public needs to be more conscious of such initiatives.

The final speaker of the panel, Prof. Dr. Ali Osman Karababa, drew attention to the damage caused to the environment by human activities and stated that the destruction of forests negatively affects critical functions such as climate regulation, biodiversity, and the water cycle. He also emphasized that air pollution leads to health problems and highlighted the importance of social awareness for the protection of ecological balance.

Kemalist Enlightenment Association board member Prof. Dr. Nur Serter also attended the panel with the participants.

The Kemalist Enlightenment Association stated that it will continue to raise awareness about both environmental issues and democracy through such events.

News Source: 12punto