Residents of the Ergene district in Turkey’s western Tekirdağ province have complained of severe health problems caused by toxic industrial waste polluting the Maritsa (Ergene) River, the BirGün daily reported.
The pollution has caused unbearable odors, and locals say they wake up at night with burning throats. Once clean enough to fish from, the river is now so polluted it poses a constant health threat. The most severely affected area is the Sağlık neighborhood, where even standing near the river has become intolerable.
Residents said cancer cases have increased, with nearly every household having one person suffering from some kind of cancer. Semra Kocakaraağaç, a resident since 1984, said she has been caring for her husband who has cancer and begged officials to find a solution to the pollution and terrible stench.
Nazile Altınay, who grew up near the river, said both she and her sister suffer from lung cancer. “Every home has someone battling cancer,” she added.
Ünzile Ülker said a part of her lung had been removed due to cancer and she still woke up at night unable to breathe from the smell. Emine Turgut, another lifelong resident, said the area has become synonymous with the disease. “People here can’t live past the age of 40. Every night we wake up choking. This is the smell of death.”
Local officials and residents, including young people, the heads of sports clubs and political party members, attest to widespread illness, the inability to open windows, canceled sports training sessions due to the odor and entire families stricken by cancer. According to local journalist Bülent Fidan, nearly five out of eight people have cancer.
Residents also expressed disappointment with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, who had pledged the river would be cleaned up 15 years ago and said it would “flow clean.” Erdoğan had commissioned an action plan at the time, which was never implemented.
Experts from Boğaziçi University’s Institute of Environmental Sciences examined the Ergene River as part of a global study led by the University of York in the United Kingdom, covering 258 rivers worldwide. According to the findings, the Ergene River ranks among the top 20 percent most polluted rivers globally in terms of active pharmaceutical ingredients, with notably high concentrations of key substances used in antibiotics and painkillers.
Environmental experts from the region added that the river was heavily polluted with sewage, industrial waste and pesticide.
