Turkish civil society groups urged rejection of a revised environmental impact assessment for Aliağa ship recycling yards, saying it legitimises existing operations without examining pollution, worker safety or yard-level risks, according to the Turkey Ship Recycling Monitoring Coordination.
The challenge follows a 23 June consultation. The filing seeks an “increase in the operational area” although coastal land formed through “sediment accumulation” is already used for metal waste, ropes, equipment and vehicles. The groups said the application contains no maps, field studies, yard reviews or current pollution data. It also fails to assess geology, earthquakes, biodiversity, agriculture, the marine environment, hazardous waste, wastewater and drainage, or disclose waste types and volumes.
They questioned why the Ship Recyclers’ Association filed the application when it does not operate the yards, saying Turkey’s EIA Regulation requires the project owner to apply.
“This EIA application fails to assess the key environmental, technical and occupational risks of ship recycling in Aliağa, despite previous studies identifying ship recycling as a serious source of pollution in the region. In light of four worker deaths in the last eight months and the lack of transparent data on injuries, occupational health and safety risks also require a holistic assessment, together with environmental aspects. Yet the data shared during the meeting remain incomplete, misleading and far from reflecting the reality on the ground,” said Selma Akdoğan of the Chamber of Environmental Engineers’ İzmir branch.
Four workers have died at Aliağa yards since October 2025, including two at EU-listed facilities. On 25 April 2026, 65-year-old Galip Avcı was killed at the EU-listed Sök Denizcilik yard after being crushed during cutting. The groups said customs authorities found a large quantity of illegal fuel aboard a vessel there on 26 June.
A regulation published on 22 June 2026 introduced an authorisation system aligned with the Hong Kong Convention, including yard-level and ship-specific recycling plans, approvals and sanctions. The environment ministry must issue environmental rules within one year, but permitting, pollution-control, monitoring and transparency standards remain unclear.
European Commission inspections at the EU-listed Leyal and Avşar yards in March 2026 found pollution and documentation shortcomings. GNV Antares (IMO 8503797) suffered hull rupture and uncontrolled flooding at Leyal on 8 January 2026 after colliding with a Metaş platform. Lily Ha (IMO 8116972) collided with another Metaş platform on 19 February 2026; the source of subsequent marine pollution was inconclusive. The Avşar review listed three inconclusive items, nine deficiencies and five areas for improvement.
Sök Denizcilik, Leyal, Avşar and Metaş are Turkish ship recycling operators. The Ship Recyclers’ Association is an industry body representing Turkish recyclers.