(and fires in Turkey?)

(Continued From Before)

Here in Turkey, development (with no qualifier such as "sustainable" or "social") by default means hotels and businesses, shopping centers and concrete. And with few exceptions, it's generally spoken of positively, often interchangeable with "future" and "progress."

The current Turkish government is committed to this version of development which means opening the economy. The AK party is actively seeking foreign investment in manufacturing industry and tourism by easing regulations and reducing bureaucratic barriers. As one friend from the city of Antalya told me, "This means Russian mafia money has been pouring into Turkey, and is now the biggest source of investment along Turkey's southern coast." İn Turkey's southeast, the government's desire for investment (both foreign and domestic) has made it much easier for businesses to get involved: "If you purchase this land, you won't have to pay this property tax; if you expand this business, we'll allow certain area violations," etc.

And the line between legal and illegal development becomes so shaded that I, for one, can't make a distinction.

The irony is this: In Turkey's current system, with the economic and political environment so friendly to developers, there is no need for a land speculator to work around the law. The fires in Greece may have been sparked by developers looking to get around land-conservation clauses that declare forrested land cannot be developed. Many environmental protection laws were created in Greece after pressure from the European Union. At this time, Turkey has few such policies, and an administration even less interested in enforcing them.

So is Turkey at risk from profit-seeking developers willing to commit arson to clear land? With so many incentives already encouraging development (the biggest among them, tourism, is increasing every day) it's comparatively easy for investors to work within the already "legal" channels. No need for fires, no need to bribe environment officials, and only a few very small voices worried about Turkey's forests. Developers hear "Come on in, the land's here and ready for you."

If you're curious about efforts to spark ecologically-friendly tourism in Turkey, see:
The World Wildlife Fund--Turkey
Karagöl region (Turkish Daily News)
and a great analysis of Turkish ecotourism's future in Today's Zaman

~~~alice