13.02.2026 00:30
The foaming and spreading heavy odor in the Kocagöl Stream, which runs through the Gebze district of Kocaeli, is causing concern among citizens. Neighborhood residents claim that despite the fines imposed, chemical waste is being dumped into the stream and animal deaths are occurring.
In the Tavşanlı area of Gebze district in Kocaeli, thick layers of foam occasionally form in the bed of Kocagöl Stream, while the change in the color of the water and the heavy odor spreading in the environment draw attention. A permanent solution is awaited in the area where agricultural lands have been damaged and approaching the water has become difficult.
"I SEE WASTE BEING DUMPED INTO THE STREAM WITH MY OWN EYES" Rıdvan Güvenç, a local resident, stated that he has been fighting against pollution in the stream for about 3 years, saying that especially during rainy weather and on weekends, waste is dumped into the stream. He said, "We have land here. Every time I pass by, especially on weekends or when it rains, I see waste being dumped into the stream with my own eyes. It also happens in the evening hours. Once, I recorded a video, and the foam had risen to my height. After that, I reached out to the authorities, sent photos, and shared them on social media," he said.
"BOTH A SHEEP AND MY DOG DIED HERE" Güvenç explained that he has complained to the relevant institutions multiple times, that teams came and took samples, and that fines were imposed on companies. He said, "The teams came, took samples, and conducted an investigation. Then they called me and said, 'We found the company that dumped, and we imposed a fine.' Good, nice, but the next week I came back, and the scene was the same again. Foam again, pollution again. I called again, and the teams came again, and they said, 'We found the company, and we imposed a fine.' Two weeks passed, and when I came, everything was filled with chemicals. This time I called and said, 'This time they dumped chemicals, so the fines you imposed are not sufficient.' They told me, 'No, we found that too, and we imposed a fine on that as well.' A week later, I came back, and this time a sheep had died here. Then my dog died. It drank water from the stream and got poisoned. The foam had risen to the height of an adult. I called the teams again, and they came. The next day they called me and said, 'Yes, we identified the cause of the dog's death, we imposed a fine on another company, but we cannot share which company it is with you.' Today we came again, and there is foam again."
"TREATMENT COSTS ARE MUCH MORE EXPENSIVE THAN THE FINES THEY RECEIVE" Rıdvan Güvenç pointed out the factories in the area, saying, "The factories here do this: the treatment costs are much more expensive than the fines they receive. That’s why they prefer to dump their waste into the stream rather than treat it and risk getting fined. A fine of 900 thousand lira has been imposed. If they try to treat that chemical, it would cost millions. The person says, 'I will get a fine of 900 thousand lira from the state, but my business will continue to operate.' As a result, we continue to get poisoned," he said.
"WE ARE INHALING CHEMICALS" Emphasizing that they have difficulty breathing due to the heavy odor in the area, Güvenç said, "If we stay here a little longer, we will get poisoned, and the hospital will tell us why we got poisoned. There is such a degree of odor here. You see, right now we are inhaling chemicals into our lungs," he said.
"WHOEVER DUMPS WASTE INTO THIS STREAM IS POISONING US ALL" Güvenç also stated that the pollution in the stream has made the area uninhabitable, saying, "We used to drink water from this stream in our childhood, we used to water our gardens. Everywhere was an orchard. Now there are no gardens left, no trees. Everything has dried up. This place has become like a ghost town. The waste dumped into this stream goes all the way to the sea. We are getting poisoned here, and along with the sea, other people are getting poisoned too. Whoever dumps waste into this stream is poisoning all of us," he said.