Who Prepared the Environmental Impact Assessment Report for Canal İstanbul?

Photos: AA

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"Ibn Sina, the renowned Turkish philosopher who lived a thousand years ago from today, drew attention to today's environmental pollution, saying, 'Had there not been dust and smoke, humans would live a thousand years'."

These are the words businessperson Selahattin Hacıömeroğlu said during a conference in 2010. He is the founder and owner of Çınar Engineering and Consultancy Inc., the company that prepared the Environmental Impact Assessment Report (EIA) for the Canal İstanbul project.

CLICK - Environmental Impact Assessment Report of Canal İstanbul Project Approved

"As a consequence, EIA is an environmental protection tool that does not hinder investment and development," he had concluded his speech.

The Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure on December 23 announced that the EIA report was approved and published it on its website. The 1,595-page report drew opposition from the people of İstanbul and scientists.

Prison term for bribery and bid-rigging

Hacıömeroğlu founded Çınar Engineering in 1997. He received a prison sentence of 50 months for bid-rigging and bribery in 2013.

The Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources launched the "Operation Blue Line" in 2007 against alleged irregularities in the state-owned Petroleum Pipeline Corporation (BOTAŞ).

Hacıömeroğlu was sued as part of the investigation and remanded in custody until 2008. Five years later, he was sentenced to 10 months in prison for bid-rigging in tenders for water line, consultancy, environment and storage for Salt Lake and sentenced to 3 years and 4 months in prison for bribery in Salt Lake environment tender.

The Court of Cassation overturned the court rulings in 2016.

Image: AA

Positive EIA report for own company

Çınar Engineering prepared EIA reports for several coal-fired thermal power plants in Biga, Çanakkale, including a power plant owned by his company, Biga Energy Electricity Production Inc.

Construction of the Biga Thermal Power Plant started in 2015. The ministry did not accept the report and Hacıömeroğlu handed over the energy company.

Won 42 tenders in eight years

Between 2011 and 2019, Çınar Engineering won 42 public tenders with a total value of 24 million lira (~4 million US dollars). The Ministry of Forestry and Water Affairs, the General Directorate of Highways, the Machinery and Chemical Industry Corporation, Ankara Water and Sewage Administration and State Hydraulic Works were among the state agencies that opened the tenders.

Canal İstanbul report

The Ministry of Transport, Maritime Affairs and Communication initiated a negotiated tender process for the EIA report for the Canal İstanbul project on July 14, 2017.

Several reasons were stated for the choice of negotiated tendering such as "the effect of the Canal İstanbul project on Turkey's geopolitical situation, the state of emergency, and the risk posed to the İstanbul Strait and to Turkey's national security by ships that carry hazardous material."

Yüksel Proje Inc., the only company that submitted a bid, won the tender with a 34 million 990 thousand lira (~5.9 million US dollars) bid. The company previously won several public tenders in projects such as İstanbul's Eurasia Tunnel, Third Bosphorus Bridge and Marmaray. It assigned Hacıömeroğlu's Çınar Engineering for the preparation of the EIA report for the canal project.

Çınar Engineering prepared a 1,595-page report and determined the most suitable route for the canal out of five different routes.

Union of Engineers and Architects: It will cause irreparable problems

The Union of Chambers of Turkish Engineers and Architects (TMMOB) released a statement after the EIA report was published, making the following remarks:

With the project, natural forests with a size of approximately 20 thousand football fields will be destroyed.

The project will cause irreversible ecological damage in the city and the region.

There are three active fault lines along the project route.

With the project, the balance of population and employment will be turned upside down.

There is a high risk of landslides and liquefaction because of the channel.

Local people who make a living from agriculture and livestock will lose their life security.

Due to imbalances in the construction, operation cost and payback period of the channel, it will cause irreparable problems. (HA/VK)