Ancient river of Bartın in Turkey turns black due to pollution

BARTIN – Demirören News Agency

The Bartın River, known as Parthenius in ancient times, has blackened due to pollution, a local official said on Nov. 16.

“The river streaming through the city center [of the Bartın province] occasionally turns black. Fish die and the pollution causes an odor,” said Bartın Deputy Mayor Hüseyin Taner Çetin.

“We think the pollution has been caused by factory waste near the source of the river,” he added, saying they have notified the provincial Environment and Urbanization Directorate about the incident.

Residents of the Kemerköprü neighborhood have especially been affected by the pollution and the bad smell.

Following the increasing number of complaints, experts of the directorate have recently taken samples from various parts of the river.