Yes to Kyoto, No to End of the World

Saturday, 8 December, was Global Action Day, and around 1,000 people gathered in Kadiköy, central Istanbul, and walked to the Besiktas ferry pier, shouting slogans, singing songs and dancing.

Support for Kyoto, no to nuclear energy 

Organised by the Global Action Group (GAG), the protest was aimed at calling on Turkey to sign the Kyoto Protocol. In addition, the protesters oppose the planned introduction of nuclear energy, and instead plead for the use of sun and wind energy.

Among those addressing the crowd was Ömer Madra of the "Acik (Open) Radio" station. Referring to the climate change summit in Bali, Madra said: "Climate scientists tell us that there is only one choice, to reduce the release of greenhouse gas." He added that scientists were trying to act against the disaster of climate change and were sending out serious warnings, which the media unfortunately did not communicate to the people. Madra said that this generation had to consider future generations, too.

Poor people suffer most from climate change 

Nuran Yüce of the GAG pointed out that it was mostly poor people who lost their lives in the natural disasters caused by climate change. She expressed her disappointment in Turkey: "At the time when we expect them to sign the Kyoto agreement, they face us with a law on nuclear power plants. There is no other planet to go to, but a different world is possible."

Kyoto Protocol soon insufficient 

The Kyoto Protocol is an agreement which has set targets of greenhouse gas reduction for industrialised countries to meet because this gas is the major cause of climate change. With a new government, Australia has finally ratified the protocol, but the USA and Turkey are still refusing to sign.

Scientists, environmental activists and the United Nations themselves are in agreement that even the Kyoto Protocol needs to be replaced by a new agreement in a few years time. One of the aims of the Bali summit is to plan for such a new agreement.

Ümit Sahin of the Greens promised that there would be a protest meeting against nuclear energy in Kadiköy on 26 April 2008, the anniversary of the Chernobyl disaster.

The gathering was joined by MP Ufuk Uras of the Freedom and Solidarity Party (ÖDP), singer Zeynep Casalini, actress Pelin Batu, pop group Bulutsuzluk Özlemi (Yearning for Cloudlessness), many NGOs, trade union members, political party members, and people old and young.

Songs of Black Sea singer Kazim Koyuncu were played. Koyuncu died of cancer at a young age, and he was one of many people living on the Black Sea who say that cancer has been on the increase in the area since the Chernobyl disaster.

Slogans and banners 

At the gathering people shouted slogans such as "No to Nuclear Energy", "Murderer USA", "Lightbulb Tayyip", the latter referring to the lightbulb symbol of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), of which Recep Tayyip Erdogan is the leader.
Protesters carried banners reading "Stop climate change and continue life", "We had rather use candles than nuclear energy", "No to the end o f the world, yes to Kyoto", "The real disaster is capitalism", "No coal, no petrol, no nuclear energy, sun and wind are enough for us", "A healthy environment is a global consumer right". (EZÖ/TK/AG)