Understanding the Climate Crisis in Turkey (Interview with Nida Mutlu)
By: Selin Özdemir
Click For the Article in Turkish
Turkey is one of the many countries with complicated and, in some cases, problematic social and administrative constructions. Like many other countries on Earth, Turkey deals with social inequality, economic problems, injustice, COVID, and of course, the climate crisis. What I find very unique about Turkey is how social movements arise to combat these problems. Although there is a strong sense of democracy historically, Turkish society seems to be lacking an effective and strong way of organizing. Because there is also a strong culture of state glorification, people don’t demand their rights and are expected to be “grateful” for what is given. In the face of a huge climate crisis, this culture makes it hard for young activists to organize and speak up.
I had the chance to speak with Nida Mutlu, a 16-year-old climate activist from Bursa, Turkey (a city on our west coast) to give me more insight and a different point of view from what I currently experience also as a Turkish climate activist. For some background information on how she started with her activism, Nida began by getting involved with many different local social problems. Oftentimes, she and her friends weren’t taken seriously when they were talking about the climate crisis and its effects on the local community. So, she decided to take matters into her own hands and created “Fridays for Future Bursa” with 4 friends. Mutlu says she heard the sentence “this is a youthful dream” one too many times. Unfortunately, this is also the case for many other activists in Turkey.
But why? Why is hoping and fighting for an Earth where all people and creatures can thrive and live harmoniously something to be ridiculed for? Why do Nida’s relatives dismissively say “We will be seeing her in police stations in a couple of years if she goes on with her ‘stuff’.”?
I found the answer to my question during our conversation when Nida told me an anecdote with her grandma.
“On a winter day, I was frustrated that the weather was like spring and not cold, which is not normal for winter in Bursa, and my grandma said: Thank god it is not cold, we won’t have to pay for heating too much. I saw the situation from a climate activist point of view. But my grandma has to pay the bills first before worrying about the climate. When I leave my frustration with her being happy that winter is not coming, I can understand her. The broken system led by fossil fuel companies is making my grandma worry about her overpriced bills daily, while also destroying our planet. And that crisis is frustrating for me and many other young climate activists. Opening people’s eyes to the problems and injustices of this system might change people’s lives for the better.”
Mutlu and I agree that climate education and awareness should be a priority in Turkey. Farmers in Bursa who don’t have any products because of the droughts in summer and small business owners in Izmir who lose their shops because of floods should be made aware that this is a larger issue- one caused by the climate crisis.
Another thing that makes fighting for what’s right difficult in Turkey is the punishment for it. It has been said, “No good deed goes without punishment!”. While it sounds unbelievable, in 2020 activists fighting against the deforestation of Mount Ida (the second most Oxygen-producing mountain in the world) had to pay almost 500.000 Turkish Liras.
It is clear by now that the Turkish government does not care about the environment. The only actions the local administrations and the government took were “Intended Plans Against Climate Change” and signing (NOT ratifying) the Paris Agreement. Nida calls them “hush-legislations”. To make matters worse, these plans are not happening anytime soon.
Thankfully, there are climate-activists and organizations in Turkey that are working towards raising awareness about the climate crisis and campaigning against the inaction of the Government. Some of these organizations are FFF Turkey, 350Turkey, Extinction Rebellion Turkey, Earth Uprising Turkey, and YouthforClimate Turkey. They are all organizing and finding different ways to take action. Nida thinks one of the things that need to be focused on is finding real stories from all over Turkey. The experiences of farmers, people in most affected places of Turkey, and minorities should be uplifted and heard. We need to find a way of making climate education available to everyone. People understanding each other and the climate crisis could change the scene in Turkey.
There is a long way to go. But Nida, other Turkish activists and I are not planning on giving up. This is not a phase. In her words:
“Being a climate activist is not a choice for our generation. I worry about my future. We have to get together and fight against those who are putting our futures at risk. I don’t think that not taking action is an option.”
Selin Özdemir is a member of the Earth Uprising International Communications Team.
- Instagram: @selind.ozdemir
- Twitter: @selinozdemir
- Email: selin@earthuprising.org
Activist Featured: Nida Mutlu
- Instagram: @m.nidaa_
- Twitter: @itss_nida
Editor: Christine Leung
Earth Uprising is a global, youth-led non-profit organization focused on climate education, climate advocacy, and youth mobilization. Through its strong network of activists from all around the world, partnerships with groups, and local, national, and international campaigns and actions, it aims to bring attention to and spur action based on the latest science regarding the climate crisis. Earth Uprising provides the tools, resources, and connections young people need in order to take direct action in their own communities. Learn more at earthuprising.org and instagram.com/earth_uprising
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