Charcoal furnaces are being destroyed
CHARCOAL furnaces that emit potentially hazardous smoke and fumes are being demolished by the government so that only 11 remain on a speciallydesignated site, it was announced this week.
“We have already demolished most of the gaminis [furnaces] in the country but many more need to be taken down,” said Tourism and Environment Minister Fikri Ataoğlu. “The owners will be shown an area on which to relocate their businesses until such time as a modern charcoal production centre comes into being.”
The government began demolishing charcoal furnaces in December amid claims by their owners that a promised transition period for the introduction of cleaner, new production methods had not transpired.
Mr Ataoğlu said the target of reducing the number of furnaces to 11 — the legal maximum limit under the law — had been delayed due to the January 7 General Election.
However, the owner of Zaim Charcoal, Önder Zaim, argued that all furnaces were to be demolished. “A number of government cronies have been given permits to import charcoal to replace the output of demolished gaminis,” he alleged. “Our entire industry will be closed down by such imports.
“We have invested whatever we had in our businesses which are now being broken up.”
Mr Zaim also repeated his view that charcoal producers were prepared to move to a new location to be designated by the government, calling on officials to “take steps to that end.”
Green Action Group General Secretary Doğan Sahir said: “We are against gaminis in their present form and we also believe that there should be a registration system and regular inspection of all fireplaces and woodburning stoves in the country to ensure that our tree population is not further depleted.
“The government should create a database for registering people using wood to heat their homes. In other countries governments have information about how many people are using such heating and how much wood is used or purchased.
“If the same procedure were adopted here it would enable the government to identify if excessive treefelling was taking place and if there was a need to import charcoal.
‘‘Wood-burning furnaces and fires cause environmental pollution and destruction by emitting potentially hazardous smoke and fumes that also pose a threat to human health.
“There are almost no orange trees left here now,” he added.