"When you ask them what they do, believe me, they will not tell you a certain job. There are around 50-60 of them. Being an environmentalist is something they do to pass their free time. I am the real environmentalist," Erdoğan said, recalling his efforts to protect the environment when he was the mayor of the İstanbul Metropolitan Municipality. The remarks have drawn ire, with some calling the prime minister's words out-and-out insulting to environmentalists.Milliyet's Sedat Ergin thinks Erdoğan's comments about environmentalists reflect a certain perception of people who call themselves environmentalists, and that the prime minister's remarks insulted them and downplayed their efforts. "The prime minister's criticism is one that could hurt not only environmental activists but also everyone sensitive to environmental issues," he says. Ergin finds it unnecessary to explain the necessity for environmental awareness, asserting that standing up for the environment equates to standing up for democracy in this day and age. In that regard, he argues that the way Erdoğan criticized environmentalists shadows his understanding of democracy. "Erdoğan voices his criticisms with a very harsh and stern language. He had an insulting tone of voice, which humiliated the circles he was criticizing. This attitude undoubtedly reflects an understanding of leadership peculiar to the East rather than the EU democracies," claims Ergin. He says Erdoğan's counterparts in EU countries face protests daily, but have come to realize that tolerating such protests is a part of governing the country. "There could certainly be people in Turkey who are disturbed about activities of the government. These citizens should be able to express their opinions freely, as long as they do not resort to violence. Being a democrat means standing up for citizens' freedoms," Ergin stresses.
Radikal's Türker Alkan criticizes Erdoğan for downplaying the number of environmentalists by putting their numbers at 50-60 people. "The environmentalist movement is more widespread than Erdoğan thinks. Some environmentalist parties have even come to power in some countries. In addition, it could be misleading to make assessments about such a movement by looking at the number of people in the movement. What is more important than the number of environmentalists is what they say and whether they speak the truth," Alkan opines.
Nazlı Ilıcak of Sabah, referring to Erdoğan's remarks defining himself as the real environmentalist, calls on him to do something about the fish farms in Turkey's popular tourist resort of Bodrum, which she says are damaging the beauty of Bodrum bays. "Certainly, he is not responsible for the mushrooming fish farms problem in Bodrum; the licenses to establish these farms were all granted before his term in power. No government has dealt with this problem in the region for years, perhaps for political reasons. If Erdoğan, as a real environmentalist, handles this problem, he could win the hearts of different social segments in the region," says Ilıcak.
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