Chapter 2
The Development Process
of Environmental Law in Turkey:
The EU Impact
Zerrin Savaşan
Abstract Turkish environmental law has greatly changed and improved since the
establishment of the Turkish Republic in 1923. While progress has mostly been
gradual, the EU accession process had a notable impact.
In order to understand the present situation of Turkish environmental law, it is
essential to obtain an analytical overview of the past and ongoing initiatives related
to its development process.
In this chapter, to make the development process of Turkish environmental law
clear and easy to understand, this analysis is divided into five main phases:
(1) Pre-1982 Constitution period, (2) From 1982 Constitution to the EU candidacy
(1999), (3) From the EU candidacy (1999) to accession country status (2005),
(4) From accession country status (2005) to the opening of the chapter on environment (2009), (5) The opening of the chapter on environment (2009) and
onwards.
Keywords Turkish environmental law Á Development process Á 1982
Constitution Á EU candidacy Á EU accession
2.1 Introduction
In Turkey, even though environmental concerns were not regarded as one of the
country’s priorities for a very long time, there have been attempts to protect the
environment since the very early stages of the republic’s establishment. Indeed, in
the 1930s Turkey started to become party to treaties on environmental issues; e.g. it
became party to the Convention on Whale Hunting in 1934.
The importance given to environmental issues began to increase in the 1970s as
a result of the rise in environmental awareness and sensitivity to environmental
problems around the world.
Dr. Zerrin Savaşan, Assistant Professor, Department of International Relations, Sub-department of
International LawInternational Law, Selçuk University, Konya, Turkey. e-mail: szerrin@selcuk.
edu.tr.
© Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2020
Z. Savaşan and V. Sümer (eds.), Environmental Law and Policies in Turkey,
The Anthropocene: Politik—Economics—Society—Science 31,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-36483-0_2
7
The Development Process
of Environmental Law in Turkey:
The EU Impact
Zerrin Savaşan
Abstract Turkish environmental law has greatly changed and improved since the
establishment of the Turkish Republic in 1923. While progress has mostly been
gradual, the EU accession process had a notable impact.
In order to understand the present situation of Turkish environmental law, it is
essential to obtain an analytical overview of the past and ongoing initiatives related
to its development process.
In this chapter, to make the development process of Turkish environmental law
clear and easy to understand, this analysis is divided into five main phases:
(1) Pre-1982 Constitution period, (2) From 1982 Constitution to the EU candidacy
(1999), (3) From the EU candidacy (1999) to accession country status (2005),
(4) From accession country status (2005) to the opening of the chapter on environment (2009), (5) The opening of the chapter on environment (2009) and
onwards.
Keywords Turkish environmental law Á Development process Á 1982
Constitution Á EU candidacy Á EU accession
2.1 Introduction
In Turkey, even though environmental concerns were not regarded as one of the
country’s priorities for a very long time, there have been attempts to protect the
environment since the very early stages of the republic’s establishment. Indeed, in
the 1930s Turkey started to become party to treaties on environmental issues; e.g. it
became party to the Convention on Whale Hunting in 1934.
The importance given to environmental issues began to increase in the 1970s as
a result of the rise in environmental awareness and sensitivity to environmental
problems around the world.
Dr. Zerrin Savaşan, Assistant Professor, Department of International Relations, Sub-department of
International LawInternational Law, Selçuk University, Konya, Turkey. e-mail: szerrin@selcuk.
edu.tr.
© Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2020
Z. Savaşan and V. Sümer (eds.), Environmental Law and Policies in Turkey,
The Anthropocene: Politik—Economics—Society—Science 31,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-36483-0_2
7