Air pollution is particularly significant in urban areas;[8] the problem is especially acute in Istanbul,[9]Ankara, Erzurum, and Bursa, where the combustion of heating fuels increases particulate density in winter. Almost all the urban population is exposed to particulate matter emissions higher than the EU and World Health Organization limits.[10] Especially in Istanbul, increased car ownership causes frequent urban smog conditions.[11] "Air pollution in urban centers, often caused by transport, and the use of small-scale burning of wood or coal, is linked to a range of health problems." "PM10 levels are 36.7 micrograms per cubic meter, much higher than the OECD average of 20.9 micrograms per cubic meter, and the annual guideline limit of 20 micrograms per cubic meter set by the World Health Organization." Although there is some monitoring of air pollution compared with other European countries, many air pollution indicators are not available.[12] Regulations in Turkey do not contain any restrictions on the pollutant PM 2.5, which causes lung diseases.[13] Greenpeace Mediterranean claim that the Afşin-Elbistancoal-fired plant is the power plant with the highest health risk in Europe, followed by the Soma coal-fired power plant, also in Turkey.[14][15]
Waste disposaledit
As of 2016[update] many municipalities use substandard dumps to dispose of waste.[16]
Summer temperatures have increased and are expected to continue to increase due to climate change.[18]Coal in Turkey emits a third of the country's greenhouse gas.
Wateredit
Pollutionedit
Organic pollution of streams is a problem.[19] There is a potential for spills from the 5,000 oil- and gas-carrying ships that pass through the Bosporus annually.
Land degradation is a critical agricultural problem, caused by inappropriate use of agricultural land, overgrazing, or over-fertilization,.[22] Serious soil erosion has occurred in 69% of Turkey's land surface. A national soil information system is being developed as presently 'it is difficult to assess the levels of land degradation, desertification or soil contamination'.[23]
Green space in citiesedit
Former military land in cities may be rezoned for housing.[24]
The European Pollutant Release and Transfer Register (E-PRTR) legislation was adopted in 2021 to be phased in.[27] There is a Pollutant release and transfer register website but it does not work yet.[28][29]
Politicsedit
Environmental issues are becoming more politically sensitive.[30] Changes in the law on environmental impact assessments are being considered which will permit mining investments without waiting for environmental impact assessments.[31] The EU has asked for "a stronger political commitment".[32] In 2019 Turkey was one of five countries which voted against the proposed UN Global Pact for the Environment.[33]
Turkey continues to provide substantial environmentally harmful subsidies, such as subsidies for poor families to use coal for heating.[37]
Restrictions on public access to informationedit
As of 2019[update] Turkey is not a party to the Aarhus Convention, and the EU[38] and OECD say the government should remove restrictions on access to environmental information:[39] researchers say the government is punishing them for publishing information about pollution.[40]
^Bulut, Umit; Ucler, Gulbahar; Inglesi-Lotz, Roula (2021-03-18). "Does the pollution haven hypothesis prevail in Turkey? Empirical evidence from nonlinear smooth transition models". Environmental Science and Pollution Research. 28 (29): 38563–38572. Bibcode:2021ESPR...2838563B. doi:10.1007/s11356-021-13476-7. hdl:2263/79375. ISSN 1614-7499. PMID 33738742. S2CID 232273360.
^Gross, Michael (10 July 2012). "Turkey's biodiversity at the crossroads". Current Biology. 22 (13): R503–R505. doi:10.1016/j.cub.2012.06.051. PMID 22970449.
^Çolak, Alpher H.; Rotherham, Ian D. (November 2006). "A Review of the Forest Vegetation of Turkey: its Status Past and Present and its Future Conservation" (PDF). Biology and Environment: Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy. 106B (3): 343–354. doi:10.3318/bioe.2006.106.3.343. JSTOR 20728606. S2CID 46955795. Archived from the original (PDF) on 13 March 2016. Retrieved 25 December 2015 – via UKEconet.
^Roekaerts, Marc (March 2002), The Biogeographical Regions Map of Europe: Basic principles of its creation and overview of its development, European Environment Agency, p. 7, retrieved 2019-08-28
^Grantham, H. S.; Duncan, A.; Evans, T. D.; Jones, K. R.; Beyer, H. L.; Schuster, R.; Walston, J.; Ray, J. C.; Robinson, J. G.; Callow, M.; Clements, T.; Costa, H. M.; DeGemmis, A.; Elsen, P. R.; Ervin, J.; Franco, P.; Goldman, E.; Goetz, S.; Hansen, A.; Hofsvang, E.; Jantz, P.; Jupiter, S.; Kang, A.; Langhammer, P.; Laurance, W. F.; Lieberman, S.; Linkie, M.; Malhi, Y.; Maxwell, S.; Mendez, M.; Mittermeier, R.; Murray, N. J.; Possingham, H.; Radachowsky, J.; Saatchi, S.; Samper, C.; Silverman, J.; Shapiro, A.; Strassburg, B.; Stevens, T.; Stokes, E.; Taylor, R.; Tear, T.; Tizard, R.; Venter, O.; Visconti, P.; Wang, S.; Watson, J. E. M. (2020). "Anthropogenic modification of forests means only 40% of remaining forests have high ecosystem integrity - Supplementary Material". Nature Communications. 11 (1): 5978. Bibcode:2020NatCo..11.5978G. doi:10.1038/s41467-020-19493-3. ISSN 2041-1723. PMC7723057. PMID 33293507.
^Onat, Burcu; Sahin, Ulku Alver; Akyuz, Tanil (12 November 2012). "Elemental characterization of PM2.5 and PM1 in dense traffic area in Istanbul, Turkey". Atmospheric Pollution Research. 4 (1) (published January 2013): 101–105. doi:10.5094/apr.2013.010. ISSN 1309-1042. OCLC 857474567.
^"How Turkey Can Ensure a Successful Energy Transition". Center for American Progress. 10 July 2018. Retrieved 19 February 2019.
^"Fed up with Istanbul traffic". 20 February 2017. Retrieved 28 September 2018.
^European Environment Agency (2013). Air pollution fact sheet 2013 - Turkey (Report). Retrieved 25 December 2015.
^"AIR POLLUTION AND ISTANBUL; Alarm bells". Heinrich Böll Stiftung.
^Üzüm, İpek (28 May 2014). "Greenpeace warns about threat of Turkey's coal-fired power plants". Today's Zaman. Istanbul: Feza Publications. Archived from the original on 26 December 2015. Retrieved 25 December 2015.
^Tuna, Banu (11 September 2014). "Greenpeace activists detained in Turkey for protesting thermal power plant". Hürriyet Daily News. Doğan Media Group. Retrieved 25 December 2015.
^Lelieveld, J.; Hadjinicolaou, P.; Kostopoulou, E.; Giannakopoulos, C.; Pozzer, A.; Tanarhte, M.; Tyrlis, E. (11 March 2013). "Model projected heat extremes and air pollution in the eastern Mediterranean and Middle East in the twenty-first century" (PDF). Regional Environmental Change. 14 (5) (published 24 March 2013): 1937–1949. doi:10.1007/s10113-013-0444-4. ISSN 1436-3798. OCLC 5690407361. Retrieved 25 December 2015.
^Varol, Memet. "Assessment of Water Pollution in the Tigris River in Diyarbakır, Turkey". Water Practice and Technology. 5: 1–13.
^sabah, daily (2019-12-19). "Turkey at risk of water shortage in near future". Daily Sabah. Retrieved 2020-07-27.
^Savci, Serpil; Borkmaz, Bellitürk. "Assesment [sic] of Irrigation Water Quality of Some Provinces of Turkey" (PDF). International Journal of Modern Engineering Research. 3 (1): 19–22. ISSN 2249-6645. Retrieved 25 December 2015.
^"Turkey's first online soil information system to be accessible to farmers and policymakers". FAO.
^"Turkish army's green areas may face risk of settlement". Hürriyet Daily News. Istanbul: Doğan Media Group. 13 August 2013. Retrieved 25 December 2015.
^ https://web.archive.org/web/20230113174042/https://www.avrupa.info.tr/en/news/turkiye-2022-report-10910. Archived from the original on 2023-01-13. Retrieved 2023-01-13. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
^"POLLUTANT RELEASE AND TRANSFER REGISTER - TURKEY".
^eprtr.csb.gov.tr. "Pollutant Release and Transfer Register - Turkey (PRTR-Turkey)". eprtr.csb.gov.tr (in Turkish). Retrieved 2023-01-13.
^European Commission (16 October 2013). Turkey 2013 Progress Report (PDF) (Report). p. 71. SWD(2013) 417 final. Retrieved 25 December 2015. A stronger political commitment would help to accelerate the alignment with and implementation of the acquis, as well as coordination and cooperation between relevant authorities at all levels.
^"U.S. One of Five Countries to Oppose UN Environment Pact". EcoWatch. 2018-05-11. Retrieved 2019-06-17.
^dongusel.csb.gov.tr. "Türkiye Green Deal Action Plan - Technical Assistance for Assessment of Türkiye's Potential on Transition to Circular Economy". dongusel.csb.gov.tr. Retrieved 2023-09-19.
^"Health and Environment Alliance | Health benefits of a Green Deal approach in Turkey". Health and Environment Alliance. 2023-05-17. Retrieved 2023-09-19.
^"Effective Carbon Rates 2018". OECD. 18 September 2018.