06.05.2025 14:52
Geophysicist Atakan Yüklü stated that there has been a decrease in the water level of Kırkgöz Lake, Antalya's most important water source, due to illegal drilling over the years. Yüklü said, "Drought is as great a danger as earthquakes. There is the reality of earthquakes in Turkey, and drought will cause destruction just as much as earthquakes."
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The Kırkgöz Lake, which meets the water needs of those who lived 500,000 years ago in Turkey's largest natural cave, Karain, is known as one of the oldest sources used in human history and is still one of the most important water sources in Antalya today. Kırkgöz Lake is of great importance both for its natural beauty and for the life it brings to the agriculture of the Döşemealtı district it passes through. The lake, which is the lifeblood of energy production for the Antalya Kepez Power Plant, also draws attention as an important water source.
BOTH WATER LEVELS HAVE DECREASED AND IT IS COVERED WITH TRASH PILES
Kırkgöz Lake is under threat from industrialization, agricultural chemicals, and illegal drilling. The lake is experiencing both a decrease in water levels and a threat of pollution. The surface of the lake, which used to be a visual feast with water lilies, is now covered with piles of trash such as bags, bottles, water jugs, and cups. It has been observed that there is a decrease in the water level of Kırkgöz Lake, known as the water reservoir of Antalya, due to illegal drilling compared to previous years.
"OUR WATERS ARE DISAPPEARING AND WE ARE JUST WATCHING"
Geophysicist Atakan Yüklü, who stated that the Kırkgöz water source has been inherited from 500,000 years ago, said, "It is a source used by the first civilizations in the Karain Cave. There is currently very serious industrialization around Kırkgöz. The Kırkgöz source is getting polluted because it is a large basin. It is fed from Bucak, which is about a 50-kilometer radius. We need to protect Kırkgöz so that we can leave it as a clean water source for future generations. Drought is now a global problem. We always say that the old snows did not fall, the old rains did not fall, and they are not falling. Our waters are slowly disappearing, and we are just watching. In this context, municipalities and local governments have serious responsibilities. There needs to be an urgent restriction on construction in areas where we have clean water sources," he said.
"DROUGHT WILL CAUSE DESTRUCTION JUST LIKE EARTHQUAKES"
Atakan Yüklü noted that drought poses a significant danger to Turkey, just like earthquakes, stating, "The illegal drilling wells around the Kırkgöz sources need to be closed. Because they are using the source of Kırkgöz. This is water coming from the area extending to Bucak, Korkuteli, and Çubukbeli. The effects of stone quarries, mining sites, and industrial facilities on underground water need to be monitored. Drought is as great a danger as earthquakes. There is a reality of earthquakes in Turkey, and drought will cause destruction just like earthquakes. Protecting underground waters should be our primary duty. Just as we inherited this water source from 500,000 years ago, we need to leave it to our children and their children," he said.
"CLEANING CHEMICALS WILL TAKE 100 YEARS"
Yüklü pointed out that if there is chemical contamination due to industrialization and construction in the Kırkgöz basin, millions of people will be affected by this situation, saying, "As the people of Antalya, we will see the health costs. The arrival of that chemical there means that millions of people will be affected. It will take us at least 100 years to clean a chemical that contaminates the Kırkgöz source. Because it is a large reservoir. We do not have the chance to say, 'Let's close Kırkgöz, empty its water, and refill it.' This is not a reservoir; we will either wait 100 years or take our precautions now. If it continues like this, it won't have much of a lifespan; pollution continues. Environmental pollution and the surrounding industrialization, the use of agricultural chemicals, and the haphazard practice of livestock farming, nothing is actually changing in the environment. This area needs to be protected by local governments and the government together."
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