Iskenderun Bay in the south-east Mediterranean region of Turkey is a highly populated area with metropolitan cities such as Adana, Mersin and Hatay. The total population of the region known as Cukurova Region with all four provinces is almost six million. The region is expected to grow from migration from within Turkey and from Syria. The region also hosts seasonal agricultural workers. The major economic activity is agriculture, due to the optimum climate conditions, geographical features, soil fertility, and irrigation opportunities.

6.8% of Turkey’s total added value of the agricultural sector comes from Adana and Mersin’s agricultural production, and the Erzin district of Hatay is home to 20% of the citrus production of the entire country. Though the area is getting more and more polluted due to heavy industrial infrastructure projects. Any new coal projects to operate in Iskenderun Bay, including Emba Hunutlu, will have a major impact on primary agricultural activity of local communities.

Over its projected life span the Emba Hunutlu coal power plant would be responsible for emitting about 207.44 million tonnes of CO2. Studies on heavy metal contents of soil, water and animals in the larger Iskenderun Bay region have given adequate evidence to conclude that the region has already serious pollution burden due to industrial and agricultural activities. If new coal power plants are built as planned, this would add to this environmental burden and associated burden of disease in the region.

Biodiversity  protection The area where Hunutlu power plant is planned in Yumurtalık is a biodiversity hotspot with reproduction zones of marine turtles which are protected by international conventions. The area is internationally protected by the Convention on Biological Diversity (1992) to which both China and Turkey are parties, as well as Bern Convention on Conservation of European Wildlife and Natural Habitats (1979), especially regarding preservation of Caretta caretta and Chelonia mydas reproduction areas and population. The site is protected by the circular of 2009/10 on the protection of sea turtles. The project poses severe risks to these protected species not only via coal shipments and delivery, but also its cooling water discharges.

Air pollution Between Jan 1993 and Jan 1994, a study to determine the prevalence of childhood asthma and other allergic diseases was carried out in Adana, examining 2334 children, in 23.6 percent of whom were diagnosed with Asthma and other respiratory allergic diseases. The symptoms of respiratory allergic diseases (asthma, rhinoconjunctivitis, wheezing) seemed to be significantly associated with the environmental facto 23.6 percent prevalence rate, in childhood asthma, is above the global and national means, as stated in Turkey Health Statistics Annual Report 2015: prevalence of childhood asthma in Turkey is between 5% and 10% depending on the geographical conditions.