Marmara Municipalities Union (MBB) and Bursa Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Mustafa Bozbeyhosted an important meeting to draw attention to the increasing pollution in the Marmara Sea and especially the mucilage problem. May 21 2025 At the meeting held in Bursa on , Bozbey said, “The Marmara Sea belongs to all of us. We have to protect this common living space for future generations.”
22-Item Solution Proposal and Ongoing Problems
The “Fighting Mucilage in the Marmara Sea” meeting, hosted by Bursa Metropolitan Municipality and held at the Merinos Campus of the Atatürk Congress and Culture Center, was held with broad participation. CHP Deputy Chairman Gökhan Zeybek, CHP Provincial Chairman Nihat Yeşiltaş, CHP Party Assembly Member Baran Bozoğlu, deputies, mayors and many local administrators from surrounding provinces attended the meeting.
Speaking at the opening of the meeting, President Mustafa Bozbey emphasized that the Marmara Sea covers a region where 30 million people live. Bozbey said, “Marmara began to be polluted due to industrial and population pressure since the 1970s. Scientists warned in 2007, but no precautions were taken. The mucilage crisis broke out in 2021, this was a final warning.” He said that they established a Scientific Board as MBB and 22-item solution proposal Bozbey stated that they have prepared the project, but that there has still been no progress on three critical issues, such as the advanced biological treatment facility.
Bozbey, who also provided information about the works in Bursa, noted that 100 percent of the domestic waste to be discharged into Nilüfer Stream within the scope of the projects carried out through BUSKİ will undergo advanced biological treatment and that 7 new facilities should be built within this scope. Stating that detections regarding illegal discharges are ongoing, Bozbey said, “We concreted 155 illegal discharges. "Our streams are still flowing dirty. If industrial facilities do not fulfill their responsibilities, they should be closed," he said.
Authority Confusion and Solution Suggestions
CHP Deputy Chairman Gokhan Zeybek In his speech, he emphasized that the Marmara Sea has been under threat of environmental pollution for years. Zeybek said, “Today, the number of fish species in the Marmara Sea has decreased to four or five. The Marmara Sea is struggling with the household waste of the population living in its vicinity. This problem should be addressed with a supra-political approach. However, Progress cannot be made without resolving the confusion of authority. "The supervision of industrial zones is left to the ministry and the responsibility is left to the municipalities. This distortion must be corrected," he said.
This meeting once again revealed the awareness and solution search of local governments and political actors against the environmental threats facing the Marmara Sea. The need for more comprehensive and coordinated efforts to solve problems such as mucilage was emphasized.
