GMO TURKEY

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The „NO to GMOs“ Platform of Turkey by Öykü Kaygusuz Dr. Turgut Altug

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Öko-Brücke Deutschland Türkei e.V. environmental NGO founded in 2003, situated in Berlin Aim: to promote the environmental and ecological awareness of immigrants and non-immigrants, to enhance cooperation and networking in the environmental field between Germany and Turkey

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A short introduction of the types of environmental NGO‘s in Turkey NGO’s in the field of „Nature Consevation“ - actors as project managers, local networkers and experts for public relations, cooperation with local and central authorities, NGO’s in „Environmental protection“ against industry pollution, related to various platforms, with a more flexible structure, >> f.e.: Anti-nuclear Platform, No-to-GMO’s Platform, Environmentalists of the Eastern Mediterreanean Sea, Platforms at the Black Sea Coast Professional Associations of Environmental Engineers, of Agricultural Engineers, of Architects and Electronic Engineers local grassroots-movements, >> Bergama protest movement

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Characterization >> Turkey specials ! „big variety“ between the poles: cooperation and protest more civil society action since 1999 earthquake in 2003/2004 environmentalists refer to the Iraq war – No-to- War-Platform+ environmentalists Later development than the classical ecological movement in western Europe (Ten Years later?) traditionally less support from the governmental institutions, less ressources >> Thats why more networking and exchange is needed!

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Actual observations: Actual trends and trend subjects: Cooperation, participation and sustainable development >> Donor organizations often want NGO to participate! (UNDP: „Highlights of Best Practices from Turkey”, Johannesburg 2002, central governmental institution in Turkey start to adopt NGO projects Networking and Coalitions between national and international NGOs (WWF, Birdlife International, Greenpeace International) Turkey is on its ongoing way to full membership to the European Union >> importance of NGO’s (Minister of Agriculture, Prof. Dr. Güclü, EU Program.

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The Platform was launched in March 2004 with the first meeting in Istanbul, Its statement of principles “Life Can not be Patented” was drafted in February 2004, The Platform is a civil society movement formed in a spirit of solidarity and comprised of organizations working in the area of ecology, environment, agriculture, consumer rights and professional chambers, Some of these NGOs are; Biologists Association, Chamber of Environmental Engineers, Ecological Life Association, Ecological Agriculture Organisation, Greenpeace Turkey, Consumer Rights Association, Small Farmers Movement Turkey, Greens Turkey and Chamber of Agricultural Engineers.

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Monster GMO Tomato tour plan, October-November 2004

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A ghost threatening our dining tables, our health and our future has been around for a long time now. The name of this threat caused by multinational companies and greedy investors is: shortly GMO, One of the main concerns about GMO is the fact that, by spreading through the natural plant species, the modified genes destroy the genetic diversity in their natural habitat, cause a deviation in the natural structures of wild species and violate the distribution and balances in the ecosystem.

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This is one of the most important issues that should be taken into consideration in Turkey. Turkey is a very rich country in biological diversity especially when compared to Europe. 2 thousand out of our 11 thousand plant species are endemic ones that exist nowhere else. Just like the underground resources or historical remains, the plant and animal species in a country are among the most important sources of that country.

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One of the main points defended by those who are for using GMO is that, GMO are necessary to meet the ever-increasing food demand of the world and to find a solution for the hunger problem, the hunger problem of the third world countries is not a result of lack of production potential but of distribution, GMOs are a way of dominating. Patent rights are the most important means to reach this dominance. Today, GMOs are within the area of both product and technical patent rights. Genetically modified products are patented. Because the main income means of these companies are collecting the patent fees.

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Some Demands of Platform are: We refuse the GMO products whose future impacts on ecology and humanity are still unclear, and which may disturb the ecosystem with resulting health problems. We demand that entrance of these products into Turkey should be prevented, Agriculture on GMO is a mass destructive technique, which destroys all the other forms of agriculture, especially ecological agriculture. Therefore, entrance of GMO containing seeds to our country should be banned and agriculture on GMO should not be permitted. Agricultural production should respect the cycles and rhythms of the nature.

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Foods containing GMO are a real threat to the right of traditional and local alimentation culture. Eventually when these products are imported to the country, they should be identified with "etiquettes" which explain their "ingredients", The products of the companies which are known as using GMO, such as Nestle and the imported products of GMO producing companies such as Cargill, Novartis, Zeneca, Du-Pont, Syngenta, Monsanto and Dow Chemical should be strictly controlled, Agriculture products and seeds containing GMO are cheaper than traditional products in Turkey. These prices can be economically attractive to farmers and stock raisers.

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It is the duty of the State and the NGOs to ensure that public institutions, particularly at regional and local levels, should provide the necessary information against this deception, The Turkish Food Codex should define the GDO products and these products should be banned because of their harmful effects on human health, The inventions, which will threaten human health, environmental equilibrium, ecosystem and biological diversity, should not be patented and the existing patents should be annulled, Our current law, codes and regulations our customs services and laboratories are not ready yet for GMO products and seeds. It is necessary that these preparations be made as soon as possible.

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Conclusions NO to GMOs! Yes to Protect our biological biodiversity! Yes to Sustainable and Organic agriculture! For equal, just and safe food worldwide! NO to BIO-Pirates! More Info/Kontakt: leventgurselalev@superonline.com dokmeci@diala.greenpeace.org.tr seminur@yildiz.edu.tr www.bugday.org www.gdo.ekolojikpolitika.org