In Alanya, a group of volunteers organized a beach cleaning event on the first day of the year, collecting waste brought to the shoreline by the waves. Nature lovers participating in the event, which was announced by photographer Gülseren Demir in her Facebook groups named “Alanya Hepimizin” and “Alanya Hayvan ve Doğa Kulübü,” stated that through the trash collection activity, they wanted to create awareness by drawing attention to the environmental sensitivity that should exist in a tourism city.
“OUR GOAL IS AWARENESS”
Photographer Demir, who warned that cigarette butts thrown into the sewage through manhole cover holes throughout the day and waste thrown into rivers that merge at the seaside wash ashore after heavy rainfall and waves, and that such waste causes great harm to the marine population as long as it remains in the sea, stated, “Just as we do not throw trash on the ground in our homes, we must keep our environment clean in the same way from the moment we step out of the door. Forests, rivers, and seas are becoming increasingly polluted. This was an awareness study. Our aim was not to ensure that nature would be kept clean by collecting trash, but to ensure the realization that nature will remain clean by not polluting the streets, the sea, the forests, and the rivers. We can prevent the emergence of infectious diseases and ensure that the water we drink and the air we breathe remain clean in this way.”
“ALTİD PROVIDED SUPPORT”
Tourism professional Aytekin Manici, stating that instead of watching TV at home on the first day of the new year, they participated in a waste collection campaign on Oba beach, said, “Within a one-hour period, we collected waste such as plastic and glass bottles, syringes with needles still attached, glass shards, shoes, slippers, batteries, electronic devices, clothing, glasses, brushes, and helmets. These wastes are being discarded by some of us. In a city that stands on its tourism economy, nature and a clean environmental structure carry great importance.” On the same day, the Alanya Tourism Association (ALTİD) beach cleaning team, which was also working to collect waste washed onto the shore by large waves, supported the environmental group by collecting the gathered trash with a trailer.