Greenpeace campaigns for panels on Turkish roofs

The Rainbow Warrior, the legendary boat of the international environmentalist group Greenpeace, arrived in Turkey this week on a three-stop tour for its campaign "Sail to the Sun," which aims to increase the use of solar energy in Turkey.

The campaign aims to create public awareness on the benefits of solar energy for Turkey and is urging the installation of solar panels on 1 million roofs. 

"This is not a dream," said Duygu Kutluay, a long-time activist for the environment who is responsible for the group's Climate and Energy campaign in the Mediterranean. Kutluay and Ansgar Kiene, the team leader for Climate and Energy, have brought the Rainbow Warrior to Turkey for an ambitious awareness-rising tour. 

"Turkey has a great potential that would make the country a leader in the use of clean, renewable resources, such as solar energy," said Kutluay as the Rainbow Warrior started its tour of Turkey on Sept. 6 in Bodrum.
Bodrum Mayor Mehmet Kocadon, who visited the boat, said he was happy to see that the Rainbow Warrior had chosen Bodrum, "a sunny and environmentally conscious city" to start its Sail to Sun campaign.
 
"Come again next year, to join or to simply accompany our annual sailing race," he told the ship's captain, Peter Willcox, who was arrested 21 years ago in Turkey during a Greenpeace activity.

Bodrum loves the Rainbow Warrior

The arrival of the boat has elicited great interest among the local public as well. The 16-member crew, which consisted of 14 different nationalities, including two Turkish volunteers, showed the people around the boat in open-day activities. 

The vessel is the third Rainbow Warrior, following in the footsteps of the first that was sunk by the French intelligence...