Ministry fines Ankara water authority over environmental violations

ANKARA

The Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change Ministry has imposed fines totaling 5.1 million Turkish Liras on the capital city of Ankara’s official water administration.

Authorities issued the fine on the Ankara Water and Sewerage Administration (ASKİ) for discharging untreated wastewater into Tuz Lake, Türkiye’s second-largest lake located around 150 kilometers from the city, and for storing solid waste without proper licensing.

The penalty follows ministry inspectors conducting an investigation in the Şereflikoçhisar district and the area surrounding Tuz Lake following complaints, the ministry noted in a statement.

Their findings revealed that household waste was being stored at a designated landfill managed by the municipality without the required environmental permit, resulting in a fine of 3.7 million liras.

Additionally, the ministry discovered that an advanced biological wastewater treatment plant in Şereflikoçhisar was not operational due to power supply issues. Instead, officials directed wastewater to nearby natural lagoons for basic treatment before unlawfully discharging it into Tuz Lake.

This violation also led to an additional 1.3 million liras fine against ASKİ.