Hands off Karpaz!

In one of the most pristine areas of the European Union an environmental disaster is about to emerge! It is being considered to build a fuel storage facility on the northern coast of Cyprus, near the village of Yedikonuk / Eptakomi for the import and export of petrol, diesel, gas and tar. The planned 12-million-ton plant at this site threatens sea turtles, Mediterranean monk seals, migratory birds and endemic flora and fauna of the peninsula as well as the eco tourism, which is laboriously built up in this rural area by the residents. Environmentalists and committed residents in North Cyprus warn against the consequences of this project!

We, the platform "No! fuel terminal in Karpaz", demand to discontinue plans of building a fuel terminal in the Yedikonnuk area of the Karpaz Peninsula, Cyprus!

Although the environmental report undertaken by planners for the site does not account for them, it is well known amongst biologists in Cyprus that the proposed site contains the marine and terrestrial habitats of a number of threatened species including endemic plants and animals. As such the area is of international importance for wildlife conservation and requires greater consideration and a more professional environmental report than has been submitted. 

Furthermore, recent projects in Buyukkonuk have demonstrated the potential of this stunning area to attract ecotourism to Cyprus. The planned development will undermine these efforts, negatively impacting the local people who have fought hard to bring sustainable tourism to their region. With infrastructure in the Karpaz region ever growing, a blight on the landscape such as this could, by reducing the appeal of the area, pave the way for further improper land use. So the decision to continue this project could have far wider ramifications, the net effect of which could severely reduce the capacity of North Cyprus to attract tourism interest.   

We ask that the Government do not allow the destruction of the best North Cyprus has to offer – its unspoilt nature. This is an irreplaceable resource for the Cypriots and their strongest economical sector, tourism, but also for animals and plants who still survive on our island.