Istanbul Solidarity Statement:

Turkish organizations denounce World Water Forum 2009

01/04/2008

Opinión

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Istanbul Solidarity Statement

We, Turkish waterjustice activists, along with our international guests in Istanbul, March 24, 2008 pledge to work together to challenge the illegitimate, corporate-controlled, World Water Forum, scheduled to take place in Istanbul one year from now.

We stand for the principles of water justice based on respecting the human right to water, water as part of the global commons and water as a public trust to be controlled democratically and respecting community control of water resources. These principles stand in contrast to the neo-liberal efforts to privatize, corporatize and commodify the world's water.

We denounce the Turkish Government's sweeping plans to privatize Turkey's water supply and water resource management as well as the continued proliferation of destructive large scale dam projects and constructurings in watersheds that exclude and harm local communities and threaten historical, cultural heritages and entire eco system.

We commit to undertake a process leading to organizing a counter forum and other mobilizations against the illegitimate, corporate driven World Water Forum; acting on a call from the conference which was held on 22-23rd March 2008 in Istanbul and also from international strategy meeting which was held on 24rd March 2008 that organizations declared "Just like what has been happening on international level the Turkish movements will also collectively propose and organize a truly democratic and representative Local Water Assemblies which will be organized and coordinated horizontally"

In these efforts, we build upon the achievements, vision and organization principles of the highly successful mobilization against the 4th World Water Forum in Mexico City March 2006. These organizing principles, which will inform our collective efforts, include openness, inclusiveness, equality, democracy and horizontal organizing; principles which have been fundamental in successes of the global movements.

In addition to further organizing with movements inside Turkey based on these common principles, we will expand the international coalition through engagement in events in Zaragoza (June 2008), Malmo (September 2008) Belem and further events planned for Guatemala City, Cochabamba, Bangkok and Brussels.

We call on others, both inside Turkey and internationally, who share these principles, to join with us in these collective efforts.

For more information, visit www.supolitik.org. If you want to sign on the statement, pls. contact supolitik1[at]yahoo.com

The list of local signatories

Workers' Organizations

DISK- Progressive Workers' Unions of Turkey
DISK / United Metalworkers' Union
DISK / Municipality Workers' Union
DISK / Revolutionary Mining Workers' Union
DISK / Revolutionary Health Workers' Union
DISK / Hotel&Restaurant Workers' Union
Turk-Is / Petroleum Workers' Union
Turk-Is / Aerospace Workers' Union
Turk-Is / Food Workers' Union

Public Employee' Unions

KESK/SES-Health Employee' Union
KESK/SES- Anatolian Branch of Health Employee' Union
KESK/Teachers' Union-Branch 2
KESK/Teachers' Union- Branch 6
KESK/ Broadcasting Employee' Union- Branch 8
KESK/ All Municipality Employee' Union- Branch 4
KESK/ Road and Construction Employee' Union -- İstanbul Branch
KESK/ Forest and Agriculture Employee' Union -- İstanbul Branch
KESK/ ESM Employee' Union -- İstanbul Branch

Farmers' Union

Turkish Confederation of Farmers' Unions

Chambers

TTB- Association for the Chambers of Turkish Medical Doctors
TTB- İstanbul Chamber of Medical Doctors
ISMMMO- İstanbul Chamber of Accountants
IVHO- İstanbul Chamber of Veterinaries
TMMOB- Chamber of Environment Engineers
TMMOB- Chamber of Architectures
TMMOB- Chamber of Agricultural Egineers
TMMOB- Chamber of Meteorology Engineers
TMMOB- Chamber of City Planners of Turkey
TMMOB- İstanbul Chamber of Environment Engineers
TMMOB- İstanbul Chamber of Food Engineers
TMMOB- İstanbul Chamber of Map and Cadastre Engineers
TMMOB- İstanbul Chamber of Geology Engineers
TMMOB- İstanbul Chamber of Geophysics Engineers
TMMOB- Buyukkent Branch of Architectures' Chamber
TMMOB- Marmara Branch of Forest Engineers' Chamber
TMMOB- İstanbul Branch of Chamber of Agricultural Engineers
TMMOB- İstanbul Branch of Chamber of Chemical Engineers

Associations

Association of University Proffesors
Association for Contemporary Lawyers
PERGAMON
Opposition Shelters of People
YAYED- Association for Research, Aid and Training on Local Administrations
Association for Veterinary, Public Health and Socail Studies

Other Groups

Allianoi (Initiative)
Anti-MAI Working Group Against MAI and Globalization
Edirne Platform: Water is Life
EGECEP- Egean Environment Platform
Environment Platform for Ida and Madra Mountains
Marmara Performers Theatre Group
Cultural Cooperative of Accountants
Association for Consumer Rights
Waterpolitics- Network

Organisations from the world

CEO- Corporate Europe Observatory (Europe)

TNI- Transnational Institute (Intl.)

Focus on the Global South (Thailand, Philippines, India)

Mumbai Paani / India

https://www.alainet.org/en/articulo/126731