CHP’s Erhan Adem Slams New Environmental Bill as “Total War on Nature”

Turkish opposition warns of environmental destruction and rural collapse under new legislative proposal

Erhan Adem, Deputy Chair of the Republican People’s Party (CHP) responsible for Agriculture and Forestry Policies, has denounced the Turkish government’s latest legislative proposal as “a total war declared on nature.”

The controversial bill, recently submitted to the Grand National Assembly (TBMM), would grant sweeping “super-permits” for energy and mining investments in protected natural areas, effectively bypassing environmental review processes.

“This is not legislation; it’s an organized attack”

In a strongly worded written statement, Adem warned that the bill is not merely a legal arrangement but “an organized assault on nature, rural communities, and the public’s right to life.” He declared, “This law is an execution order for both nature and agricultural production.”

Adem criticized the bill for enabling unrestrained exploitation of forests, olive groves, and pastures under the pretext of strategic investments, while rendering Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) processes meaningless and stripping local communities of any legal voice or say.

Olive groves, forests, and pastures under threat

The CHP official emphasized the potential scale of destruction if the bill is passed:

“The eradication of olive groves would mean the destruction of a thousand-year-old agricultural heritage. Opening forests to mining activities is ecological devastation. Allowing pastures to be plundered will bring an end to livestock farming and increase Turkey’s dependence on imported food.”

According to Adem, the broader implications of the bill would include mass rural depopulation, rising hunger in urban centers, and nationwide impoverishment.

Land seizure through “emergency expropriation”

Adem also harshly criticized the bill’s inclusion of “urgent expropriation” clauses, which he says would violate citizens’ constitutional property rights.

“This bill legalizes land seizure. With a single signature, a citizen’s land can be taken away. This is not only undemocratic — it is a state-sanctioned ecological crime.”

CHP: We will resist this bill on every front

Asserting the CHP’s full opposition to the legislation, Adem said the party would fight it “in Parliament, on the streets, and in the villages.”

“We stand on the side of life. We defend nature, the producers, the farmers, and future generations. The government has clearly picked its side — pro-contractor, pro-mining cartel, pro-looting. This dark and destructive bill must be withdrawn.”

A nationwide call to defend the land

Adem concluded his remarks by calling on the Turkish public to resist the legislation and stand up for their environment and future:

“We call on all citizens who care for their land, water, trees, and children to join us. The defense of life starts with rejecting this bill.”

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