site.btaPresident Erdogan Unveils 563 Water Facilities, Assures Dams Are Filling Up

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan Thursday assured that the country’s reservoirs are filling up and highlighted investments in water management and the fight against forest fires. He was speaking at a commissioning ceremony for a total of 563 new facilities of the state water management enterprise, which was broadcast live on his official social media accounts. 

“The facilities we have built will contribute TRY 22 billion (nearly EUR 429 million) to the economy,” Erdogan said. He underscored that the investment will provide access to an additional 896 million cubic metres of water and that an area of 5,240 hectares will be protected from flooding. 

Erdogan expressed concern over the decline in the world’s supply of drinking water amid an ever-increasing need for it. At the same time, he highlighted the country’s improved capabilities for fighting fires. 

“By 2050, 6 billion people are expected to lack access to drinking water. Climate change is a threat to water. We are among the countries facing this challenge in the harshest way. Last year alone, we had to fight 2,334 forest fires. Our preparations for firefighting are proceeding at full speed. With the 14 new helicopters acquired this year, we now have 119 in total. Our capacity for aerial water drops has reached 462 tonnes,” Erdogan stated. 

The Turkish President also commented on the results of Turkiye’s Zero Waste recycling programme in the ninth year since its introduction. Turkiye managed to recover 90 million tonnes of waste and generated TRY 356 billion (EUR 73 billion), Erdogan said.