Flash floods caused by rent-oriented urbanization kill one in Turkey's Ordu

The victim, identified as Bayram Sekmen, was reportedly buried under mud and debris after a landslide
Friday, 10 August 2018 19:57

Flash floods caused by heavy rains and rent-seeking urbanization policy of the Turkish AKP government in the Black Sea province of Ordu claimed one person’s life.

The victim, identified as Bayram Sekmen, was reportedly buried under mud and debris after a landslide in the Seymenli neighbourhood of the İkizce district on Aug. 9, a local official told state-run Anadolu Agency.

According to the Health Ministry, 10 people sought hospital treatment but eight of them have been discharged while the remaining two are under treatment for slight injuries.

People and experts blamed Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's ruling AKP party's turning a blind eye on the reckless environmental policies and approval of controversial hydroelectric power plant (HES) projects, which cause significant deforestation in the Black Sea region.

The Union of Chambers of Turkish Engineers and Architects (TMMOB) indicate to three common issues regarding the flash floods in the region: The constructions on the stream bed, the coastal road around the Black Sea preventing the streams from reaching the sea, and the disruption of the flow regime due to hydroelectric power plants. They underline that the safety of life and property of the people in the region could not be ensured without reaching a solution for these three issues.