Minister of Environment and Urbanisation İdris Güllüce visited the Kandilli Observatory and Earthquake Research Institute.
Following the briefing presented by Prof. Dr. Mustafa Erdik, Director of the Kandilli Observatory and Earthquake Research Institute, Minister Güllüce answered questions from journalists.
In response to a journalist’s question regarding “the presence of a forged signature in the EIA report for the Akkuyu nuclear power plant,” Minister Güllüce said: “This is dealing in nonsense. The Republic of Turkey and this nation will develop and prosper despite those who do not wish it to.”
Minister İdris Güllüce continued his remarks as follows:
“Nothing will be achieved by sowing confusion with such parasitic news. No obstruction will prevent this nation’s wealth, this country’s development, or its becoming a leading nation. I say to those who write these things and those who have them written: you are striving in vain. This nation will develop. It will become one of the world’s ten largest countries. Do what you will, strive as much as you may. Whoever may be directing you, let them; but this country will develop.”
Underlining that Turkey would develop both technically and economically, Minister Güllüce said: “This country will become one of the ten great nations. This nation has risen to its feet, and you will not be able to stop it. These statements are an organisation aimed at diminishing Turkey’s standing before the nations of the world with unnecessary matters. Please ask them, ‘Can this be done to one’s own nation?'”
– The hardest thing to share is real estate
Regarding the regions that have recently been or will be included in the scope of urban transformation, Minister İdris Güllüce said: “We are working very well on Kahramanmaraş. Ceyhan is beginning. There is Sakarya-Erenler and Bolu-Gerede. There are one or two municipalities in Bursa that are in preparation and have not yet submitted everything.”
In response to a question on urban transformation in Istanbul, Minister Güllüce said: “We do not carry out urban transformation. We have it carried out. The municipalities move forward together with us. Whichever municipality’s boundaries it falls within, that municipality must have done work on this matter — and it is doing so.”
Minister İdris Güllüce, also addressing criticisms directed at urban transformation, said the following:
“Urban transformation is a very difficult thing. It is not easy for a mayor to undertake it, to make preparations for it, to prepare its infrastructure, and to carry it out by reaching agreement with citizens and winning their hearts. The hardest thing to share is real estate. You are dividing up a person’s plot, their building, something whose plot has a different location. This is not like sharing money, wheat, or potatoes. Real estate has the quality of scarcity. There is only one of it. In that building there are one or two flats facing south. But the flat behind it or beside it has different values. That is why urban transformation is a very difficult task. But we will do it.”
Regarding the rainfall that has occurred in recent days, Minister Güllüce said: “I expect that we will not experience any water-related problems this year. There is also plenty of rain and snow in Anatolia, which is encouraging. There is a saying in Anatolia: ‘Snow brings abundance.'”
After the visit, accompanied by Dr. Doğan Kalafat, Director of the National Earthquake Monitoring Centre, Minister Güllüce toured the Museum of the Kandilli Observatory and Earthquake Research Institute.
