Uzumlu Cement Factory Meetings

[Rindaloo]

Alec, can you tell me where the meeting was.  I thought Icirkoy was lovely, so yes I did enjoy that.  I went up a slope saw a mosque, a parked dolmus and a tea room, continued on and found a market.  in front of me was a track so I turned round.  Now I am curious.  Did the meeting move on to the quarry and that's why I never spotted anyone.

[alec]

Fiona can probably tell you more about where they went, but I think they started by looking at the quarry and factory site, then went on up the hill to look at the area more generally (that was where I picked them up).  After the experts left, there was a meeting with the lawyer at the tea room you found near incirköy mosque, where she explained what was going on and the stage we had reached.  My Turkish is not 100%, so I'm waiting for somebody to write it up and I'll relay what he says.  incirköy village I'm told collected 2600YTL, and that's the village people.

[Rindaloo]

Wow!!  Well I look forward to hearing the results.  Thanks for the info Alec.  I think I might go to Incirkoy again and this time take time to really see it.  I thought it was amazing, what I did see of it.

[Firo]

Sorry we missed you Rindaloo but it was totally hectic this morning. About 6 cars(including ours) escorted the court officials up to the quarry. Maps were out and lots of talking took place with them by our lawyers and Urantas representatives. There was a judge and about 6 professional independant environment experts. They took lots of pictures which clearly showed the olive trees at the bottom of the quarry site. We looked into the quarry where they have dug down for the cement factory to go. It was the 1st time I had actually been in the quarry site and the devastation there is frightening and all the trees are heavily covered with dust etc. After that we went down to the olive grove where we were joined by about 30 cars, motorbikes & dolmuses. The convoy then proceeded to travel around the valley to look at the site from the road above Incirkoy. Then it was back to the road overlooking Incirkoy and then the officials left. Many then went back to Incirkoy tea house for a de briefing from the solicitor and as soon as I have the translations I will print it up for everyone to see.
I estimate there were about 9 expats (German & Brits) all the rest of the 60+ people were locals. It was a great turnout and I think the officials can not have been made more aware of the feelings against the factory in the area.
I would think it is now a case of waiting for the expert reports to be done for the judge and then it will be heard in court.
Many thanks to those of you who could make it at short notice and once again apologies for the confusion but officials over here do not have to give times and as we all have learned they can turn up when they like.
Thanks one more
Fi

[Firo]

At the de briefing it was said by our solicitor that it would probably be 2 - 3 months before we hear anything more. Urantas's solicitors did not turn up for the meetings! One of the Turkish committee said to one of the officials "what are we doing to our country?" and he replied he would help protect the countryside, so hopefully that is a good omen.
Most of the locals were from Incirkoy who announced it on the loadspeaker system this morning and the villagers in Incirkoy have raised 2600 ytl against the 260ytl collected from shopkeepers in Uzumlu last week! Very few turned out from Uzumlu.
We have now been advised to keep the profile high, in the press, occassionally so we will no doubt be asking people to turn out a few times in the next 3 months for body numbers. I will endevour to give as much notice as possible.
Thanks
Fi

[alec]

I'm glad you liked incirköy.  I especially like the weird way the road goes in a tunnel under the mosque, and the grove of huge old pine trees in and around the graveyard.  Look out for the rollers (blue jays, green crows, call them what you will) that live there.

[Rindaloo]

LOL!  Alec,  I ever spotted the tunnel.  I was frantically looking for a cluster of Yabanci numberplates and a group of people nearby.  But I will go back now and take time to enjoy it.  We have jays here regularly harassing the collared doves in our huge old pine tree.  But the nature is one of the things I take particular pleasure in.

[alec]

Yes but these are rollers - about the same size as a jay but turquoise blue and they fly differently.  You can generally see one or two near the road out of incirköy, but I don't know of anywhere else they live in the area.  I've never seen them in Üzümlü or Kizilbel.

[peecee]

It's rather sad isn't it??  I could be (and usually am!) but I would have thought Uzumlu to be a far wealthier village than Incerkoy?  Why is it that Incerkoy can raise so much money and Uzumlu hardly anything??  Do you think perhaps that they hope the wind will blow the other way!
There were no Turks from Uzumlu today, shame.

[Montana]

We're glad that so many people turned out - sorry we couldn't make it (as we are in England) Really hope the cement factory can be stopped, considering the amount of damage already caused, and how beautiful the whole area is. Hopefully we can make a contribution in August.