Allegations of intense odor felt in Tuzla's Şifa, Mimar Sinan and Orta neighborhoods during the night between September 29 and September 30 came to the fore.
Citizens living in the region stated that they were negatively affected by the heavy odor surrounding their homes.
A resident of the neighborhood who spoke to Cumhuriyet claimed that similar odor problems have been experienced in the area for a long time and made the following claims about the latest incident:
"There has been no solution to the odor problem for years. It increases in intensity during the night hours. On the night between September 29 and September 30, an indescribable smell of chemical gas surrounded our house. This situation had previously occurred in 2017 and 2023. Apart from this smell, I would like to point out that the disturbing smell, which has not been resolved for years and which I cannot fully describe, which is said to come from the leather industry, was present almost every evening. Due to the smell, symptoms of headache, nausea, shortness of breath and burning in the eyes occurred. "I conveyed my complaints to the relevant units, but unfortunately nothing has changed."
İSKİ: IT WAS DETECTED THAT ILLEGAL DUMPING WAS MADE IN THE SEWER LINE
Following the odor complaints, Istanbul Water and Sewerage Administration (ISKİ) issued an official press release on the issue.
In the statement, it was reported that the Wastewater Treatment Department teams carried out an inspection in the region upon notices received at around 20.30 on Tuesday, September 29.
As a result of the investigations, it was stated that it was determined by the surrounding camera records that illegal dumping was done with a sewage truck on the sewer network line at Orta Mahallesi Bülent Ecevit Caddesi No:20 on the same day at around 19.20.
İSKİ noted that official correspondence was carried out with the Tuzla District Police Department in order to initiate the necessary legal procedures within the scope of the Regulation on Discharge of Waste Water to Sewers and to obtain camera recordings.
INSPECTIONS CONTINUE
In the statement, it was also stated that a total of 118 sewage trucks were integrated into the system within the scope of the cooperation with the Wastewater Transfer Monitoring System (ATİS), which was established to monitor the sewage trucks carrying waste water, and the Kocaeli Water and Sewerage Administration (ISU).
The institution, which reported that 987 inspections were carried out to prevent illegal dumps between May and September 2026, argued that the allegations that responsibilities were not fulfilled did not reflect the truth.
THE SUSPECT WHO MADE AN ILLEGAL DISCHARGE WAS TAKEN INTO CUSTODY
In the last official announcement signed by Tuzla Mayor Eren Ali Bingöl, who switched from CHP to AKP in the past months, developments regarding the judicial process were shared.
Reminding that a criminal complaint was made to the Istanbul Anatolian Chief Public Prosecutor's Office on Duty through the Municipal Legal Affairs Directorate, Bingöl said that as a result of the work of the police forces, R.K. He announced that the person named was caught and detained.
