It turned out that the land that is planned to be built as a test track for trains in Eskişehir is an 'archaeological protected area'. It was determined that risk reports for disasters were not prepared for the roads that will be close to the fault lines.
Mustafa Bildirici from Birgün to the news by;" It was decided to expropriate an area of 6 million square meters for the construction of the test roads of the National Rail Systems Research and Test Center Project (URAYSİM), which was started in partnership with the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure and Anadolu University, in Eskişehir Alpu.
The expert committee formed within the scope of the lawsuit filed by the Eskişehir Metropolitan Municipality with the Administrative Court for the expropriation decision for the project, which is planned to be built with an estimated budget of 504 million TL, completed its report. The seven-person expert committee, consisting of five academics from universities, a geological engineer and a mapping and cadastral engineer, concluded in the 77-page report that the URAYSİM project, in its current form, "is not suitable for the public interest". In the report, it was emphasized that the land, which is envisaged to be expropriated within the scope of the project, hits first-class agricultural lands, pasture area, natural gas pipeline, and the Porsuk River floodplain border and the "archaeological site on the Great Caravan Road route".
Reacting to the unplannedness of the project, CHP Deputy Utku Çakırözer said, "The project should be shifted to a more barren region instead of fertile agricultural and livestock lands."
CAUSES Irreversible DAMAGE
In the report of the expert committee, there were some findings in summary:
“The majority of the project area is the first class agricultural lands where active agricultural production is made in the Alpu Plain, which was declared 'Great Plain' in 2017 with the Decision of the Council of Ministers. There, the land was consolidated and handed over to the producers, and irrigation infrastructure projects were completed. With the project, the integrity of the region's most productive agricultural lands will be disrupted. Changing the quality of agricultural land and using it for other purposes will cause irreversible damages. It is illegal to use it for any purpose other than agriculture.
EVEN EARTHQUAKE REPORT HAS NOT BEEN RECEIVED
DSI's opinion was not received on whether the test roads are within the flood and flood protection zone. There are active faults near the project site, but it has been determined that AFAD has not received an institutional opinion on this matter. Possible future risks in terms of ground and disaster have been ignored. Within the framework of the project, it is not planned how to pass to the other sides due to the rails that will pass through the fields of the citizens in the form of an ellipse. Except for two underpasses, cadastral roads are completely interrupted.
Since there are many immovable cultural assets such as mounds, flat settlements and necropolises on the plain where the project will be built, the project may cause irreparable damage. As the project is heavily populated and located on the potential 'Great Caravan Road' cultural route, outstanding public interest is overshadowed. Expropriation would not be in the public interest in terms of cultural assets.”
EXPERT REPORT SAYS 'HEEAR THE SCIENCE'
CHP Çakırözer evaluated the expert report as follows:
“In the railway city of Eskişehir, no one is against URAYSİM and similar projects. Thanks to the expert report, the city had the opportunity to discuss the project in detail for the first time. What does science say? He says, 'That project will not be on agricultural land'. Then we should all listen to the expert report. Turkey is not self-sufficient in agriculture. First the pandemic, then the war in our north showed the importance of producing your own wheat, beet and corn. Therefore, laying rails on the most fertile agricultural lands of our country will not benefit anyone. The project should be shifted to more barren areas as the villagers there want.”
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