Sinop (Turkey), 23rd of August 2008. Turkish police arrested 30 international and local Turkish activists who took part in a peaceful "die-in" action in front of the house of the governor of Sinop. The police arrested also people that were just observing or standing nearby.

The protests are directed against the plans to build a Nuclear Technology Centre in the Sinop region. Participants are members of environmentalist movements worldwide. They want to draw attention to the fact that nuclear energy is dangerous, polluting and expensive. Instead of investing in nuclear technology, Turkey should use its great potential for solar and wind power, as well as increasing energy efficiency.

"The Turkish state seems very afraid of people learning how dangerous nuclear power is. That is why authorities do not tolerate any protest, especially when foreigeners are involved. We are seriously concerned about the denial of freedom of speech in Turkey. ", says Niklas Hartmann from Germany.

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European Youth for Action, http://eyfa.org

The Ecotopia gathering in Turkey

Ecotopia is an annual 2 week-long meeting of activist individuals and groups, focusing on issues of environment and social justice. It has been organized by EYFA (European Youth For Action) since 1989, and is hosted by local grassroots environmental organizations.

This year, Ecotopia took place between 9-23 August 2008 in Turkey, close to the city of Sinop at the Black Sea, hosted by Ekolojik Utopyalar Dernegi.

In Turkey, the pros and cons of nuclear energy have been debated for almost 30 years. In 2004, the Turkish government took a sudden turn in the energy policy and made a plan to meet Turkey's increasing energy demand by building 3 to 5 nuclear plants between 2008 and 2012. The reliance on nuclear energy runs huge economic and environmental risks.

Source: http://www.ecotopiagathering.org/