Teknecik Power Plant

Teknecik Power Plant The Nation is Poisoned in Darkness

"We Found 64 Cancer Cases; Urgent Investigation Needed" A study on the rising number of cancer cases was at the heart of the meeting organized by Çatalköy-Esentepe Municipality. The meeting focused on the effects of the toxic smoke emitted by the Teknecik Power Plant on the environment and public health.

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Çatalköy-Esentepe Municipality organized a meeting to examine and propose solutions regarding the environmental and health impacts of the toxic emissions from the Teknecik Power Plant.

At the meeting, held on Wednesday evening, several civil society organizations shared their observations and opinions on the effects of the plant's emissions on the environment and human health. cancer cases, revealing that 64 cases had been identified in the region, and stressed that such research should be conducted by the "government." presence of all these people together demonstrates that this issue transcends politics and government."

Among the speakers were former KIBTEK (Cyprus Turkish Electric Corporation) General Manager Kamil Direl, President of the Cyprus Turkish General of the Cyprus Turkish Medical Association Ceyhun Dalkan, and President of the Chamber of Environmental Engineers Cemaliye Özverenler.

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While there was no consensus on which alternative energy sources should be used, all parties agreed on the harmful effects of the currently used fuel oil on the public.

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"A significant number of cancer cases are being observed in the region"

During the meeting held recently regarding the Teknecik Power Plant, Mayor 64 cancer cases had been identified, stating; "These figures come from a small study we conducted in the region to set an example."

He noted that they focused on neighborhoods with high instances of cancer, explaining; "This statement is based on known cases. It is not an international or academic study, nor a technical investigation. It is merely a problem affecting our local area. It is crucial to learn the total number of cases across the region. In our research, we found 64 cases, but there could be others we are unaware of. The government needs to investigate and identify these cases."

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"The presence of all these people together shows that this issue is above politics and government." groundbreaking initiative for our region, completely above politics. People from all walks of life participated." He emphasized the involvement of many organizations, such as the Union of the Chambers of Cyprus Turkish Engineers and Architects, the Chamber of Electrical Engineers, and the Cyprus Turkish Medical Association, with significant public participation as well. issue is above politics and government. We, as the Municipality, did not come here to play politics but to discuss and consider solutions. I shared my views and explained where we needed help. I am very pleased with the support we received." He added, "The best example of this is the support offered by the Cyprus Turkish Medical Association."

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willingness to assist in conducting research on this issue. As a Municipality, we stated that we could provide financial support for the research. collaboration with thePerhaps, Chamber of Mechanica with a joint scientific study or the help of external experts, we can achieve this on a larger scale. We need to investigate whatoftypes of cuts illnesses are power and referred to the recurring p occurring, what diseases are emerging, the nature of the cancer“We cases, thepersistently emp mismanagement. have age groups affected, and the number of deathsresult? caused by these cases, Darkness,” he said,and referencing the p quickly create a cancer map for the region and possibly the country. After this participation, my hopes have increased because we received support from all the institutions and organizations present."

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“The next step could be transitioning to a system where we can utilize solar energy more effectively or changing the type of fuel used.”

"We proposed moving forward with short, medium, and long-term goals. The short-term goals involve immediately inspecting the incoming fuel to ensure it meets the standards before entering the island. The existing 60-megawatt generators should also be serviced and repaired promptly. From what we've been told, it seems routine maintenance and inspections aren't being done, which contributes to the emission of black smoke from these generators. The next step could be transitioning to a system where we can utilize solar energy more effectively or changing the type of fuel used. Perhaps transitioning from to diesel or natural gas could be considered. The Chairman of the Engineers, fuel has oil been working Chamber of Mechanical Engineers mentioned that switching to a system that solar energy could lead to a 30% reduction in electricity bills. The wer outagesharnesses as evidence of this main issue for hasized and protested...

Andour thecitizens regarding electricity is that they are paying for the most expensive electricity and yet can't use it. For instance, while we were wer outage during the meeting. discussing this, we experienced another power outage. During our press

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Highlighting the need for immediate investigation into specific areas in the of cancer cases observed in these areas and the necessity of identifying the causes of these cases

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KIBTEK Former General

“The fuel used should be analyzed” KIBTEK, stated that he categorizes the environmental problems stemming from the Teknecik Power Plant into two: "Problems associated with the current fuel usage and the issue of black smoke emanating from the chimney that has that the public is concerned about the quality of the fuel used, Direl stressed the need for an analysis of the fuel being burned, adding, "Unfortunately, there is no laboratory in this country to perform such an analysis."

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He emphasized the importance of analyzing and publishing the findings, pointing out past examples of such practices. Direl also stressed the need to analyze the emission parameters of the smoke released from the chimney, monitoring system should be established. He mentioned that an emission Plant, but it has not been operational for several years. He also pointed out that no such monitoring system exists at Teknecik. The law mandates that the emissions from the chimneys be tested and measured annually by accredited companies, a requirement that hasn't been fulfilled for several years.

Direl highlighted the importance of these parameters for human and environmental health, as well as for the maintenance of the plant's equipment.

He noted that fuel oil has two main environmental impacts: "Firstly, the chimney emissions, and secondly, the waste generated during fuel exceeded both in steam power plants and diesel power plants. He also touched on treatment systems and the environmental issues that such systems could cause, stating that the costs of potential systems have already been calculated.

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Direl suggested that more environmentally friendly fuel consumption could be considered, mentioning that natural gas could be an appropriate solution. He pointed out that natural gas would also offer a cost advantage, stating that if natural gas were used in the power plants, production costs could decrease by 30%. However, he added that the current power plants would require modifications to accommodate natural gas. He noted that feasibility studies on this issue were conducted in 2019-2020.

Direl also addressed the power outages caused by insufficient power production in the country, noting that the existing power plants are unable to meet the current demand. He cited two reasons for the frequent power cuts: "Firstly, issues with the existing production plants, and secondly, the need for renewable energy, particularly solar energy, and the significance of storage systems.

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President of the Cyprus Turkish Chamber of Mechanical

“Unmade investments serve “someone's” profit” Engineers, emphasized during the meeting that the issue stems from poor management. He stated that the black smoke emitted is not random and revealed that in 2018, a serious study was conducted to convert existing noted that there is no mechanical engineer's opinion on the transition from fuel oil to natural gas, attributing this to a persistent reluctance to adopt natural gas. He mentioned that the environmental pollution difference between natural gas and fuel oil is about 20% and added, "With this poor fuel and poor management, you would even go beyond that."

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maintenance of natural gas, stating, "First and foremost, we need to operate our existing system for public benefit. Instead of doing this, we are creating more complications with alternative methods." He pointed out that while fossil fuel investments are being proposed, no fossil fuel investment plants are being established anywhere in the world, emphasizing the importance of area of land intended for KIBTEK to a few companies, questioning why KIBTEK itself could not undertake the same projects.

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“The electricity problem remains unresolved due to profit motives” He claimed that the electricity problem in the country remains unsolved due to stressing the need to overhaul the system and implement smart systems in homes, and pointed out that charging stations for electric vehicles should not be powered by fossil fuel plants. He stated that despite writing to the Minister, Prime Minister, and the Embassy, no one is listening, attributing the unresolved electricity issues to profit-driven motives.

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“The Chamber of Commerce, silent on fuel acquired without tender, contract, or guarantee, now claims it will analyze the fuel entering the depot” criticized the Chamber of Commerce for its silence on the matter and its later declaration of intent to analyze the fuel entering the depot. He expressed frustration over the Chamber's inaction during the system's deterioration and its failure to voice concerns due to personal interests. battery storage of 165 megawatts of energy, the machinery at KIBTEK is suffering due to sudden loads. He voiced his frustration over the continued discussions on acquiring fossil fuel plants or transitioning to natural gas despite the presence of 120 megawatts of idle capacity, stating that problems not addressed at their source will only lead to further complications.

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“Green and yellow smoke rises from AKSA, That's the real poison”

collaboration with the Chamber of Mechanical Engineers, has been working of power cuts and referred to the recurring power outages as evidence of this mismanagement. “We have persistently emphasized and protested... And the result? Darkness,” he said, referencing the power outage during the meeting.

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local area but the entire country. He presented a photo showing the power the southern part of the island, stating that the image was a "satellite view of maintenance of power plants and the supply of proper fuel. He recounted how, after the tender process, during a direct purchase, he personally took a fuel sample from the third ship and sent it to the southern part of Cyprus for found to be within normal parameters.

He then outlined the reasons for the current issues: "First, we suspect bad acquired on time. Third, because we couldn't perform the necessary maintenance, you're seeing that black smoke. The root problem, however, is poor management." region, be aware that for the past nine months, there have been 16 one-ton tanks and four other tanks of various sizes containing chlorine gas at the power plant. If there's a leak from just one of these cylinders, everyone within 10 kilometers will die.

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We wrote to the Prime Minister about this eight months ago, asking them to dispose of the chlorine gas. The tender was completed on July 4th, and the contract was signed. Yet the matter has been bouncing between the Prime benefit from the situation. The chlorine gas remains a live bomb at Teknecik. If a leak occurs, everyone within a 10-kilometer radius who breathes the air will There are two or three companies in Turkey that can handle this. The company that won the tender is an international firm, and the process will take 15 days to complete. For 40 days, we've been waiting for poor management to make a decision and pay the company 260,000 Euros to eliminate this live

“Green and yellow smoke is coming from AKSA. That is the real poison.” of this situation, stated that people are losing their lives. He pointed out that the lack of timely maintenance of power plants leads to the emission of black tenders of the Electricity Authority to Turkey." He mentioned that they want to hide the fact that the fuel is dirty and said, "Green and yellow smoke is coming

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Ceyhun Dalkan, Secretary General of the Cyprus Turkish

“Just like our sea waters, our air pollution reports are also clean” said, "The health issues of the public are our primary duty. What problems can this smoke cause? It can cause issues in every organ from head to toe. Poor air quality and air pollution can lead to strokes, heart attacks, lung cancer, or if can cause pregnant women to deliver early, children to be born with disabilities, or cause blood clotting. In essence, we are being poisoned while paying a fortune for electricity."

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“Just like our sea waters, our air pollution reports are also clean” Dalkan emphasized that clean air is our right. He mentioned that the European Union's goals for 2030-2050 include environmentally friendly energy and stated that they want to actively participate in efforts to protect public health. Dalkan noted that they had some discussions during this process and particularly requested air pollution reports from the Environmental Department for the entire country. He said that the reports have reached them and remarked, "Just like our sea waters, our air pollution reports are also clean." He used the expression, "They sent us a ridiculous result stating that the annual averages are clean." Dalkan added, "We intend to work together with other sister organizations and associations to more clearly and statistically reveal the health impacts of this situation."

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Cemaliye Özverenler, the Chamber of

“We were told, 'We used bad fuel, we're sorry.'

But saying we used bad fuel actually means, 'We're very sorry, we poisoned you.”

Cemaliye Özverenler, the Chamber of Environmental Engineers, expressed her desire to speak about what can be done. "As the Chamber of Environmental Engineers, we publish the same press statements almost every year on issues like solid waste, water, and fuel. However, our authorities do not take us into consideration and do not respond to our questions.

Because they do not respond to us, as engineers, we cannot conduct any calculation studies," she said.

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Özverenler stated, "We were told, 'We used bad fuel, we're sorry.' But saying we used bad fuel actually means, 'We're very sorry, we poisoned you.'" Özverenler emphasized that what needs to be done is for civil society organizations to form a commission, and that engineers should be present when fuel samples are taken to ensure that samples are taken from all tanks not transparently disclosed, we are only making assumptions based on the smoke we see." Özverenler pointed out that when looking at the he highlighted that while only Teknecik is being discussed, the situation is not filter is unfortunately not being operated. This is because the operating cost of the filter is very high," she said, adding, "The public is still being poisoned." Özverenler expressed that they are ready to provide the necessary assistance as the Chamber of Environmental Engineers.

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