Dismantling of Toxic Brazilian Ship in Turkish Port Sparks Protest

The Sao Paulo warship at sea. Photo: Wikimedia Commons/Rob Schleiffert

"We will not make Turkey the garbage dump of imperialist powers. It is known that the ship spreads poison," Kadir Bulbul, the Izmir chair of the Left Party, told media during the protest.

Bulbul added that the now-decommissioned Brazilian warship, the Sao Paolo, is full of asbestos and said it left harbour in Brazil for dismantling in Izmir illegally, contravening a Brazilian court decision.

İzmir Aliağa'ya gelecek zehirli gemiye karşı Karşıyaka Çarşı'da, yaşama sahip çıkmak için, bağımsız bir Türkiye için yürüdük.#BuMemleketBizim pic.twitter.com/TCqTFTQiMU

— SOL Parti (@solpartibilgi) August 21, 2022

The Sao Paulo was used by France between 1963 and 2000, and then was sold to Brazil, which used it until 2012.

A Turkish company based in Izmir got the contract to dismantle the ship last year and was given clearance by the Environment Ministry on May 30.

The ship reportedly set off for Turkey on August 5 despite a ruling by Brazil's Federal District Court and will reach Izmir at the end of September.

Environmental, human rights and labour organisations from around the world say that the ship going to Izmir to be scrapped is against Turkish, Brazilian and international law.

"A twin ship [of the Sao Paolo] of the same tonnage and size was dismantled in France… and 760 tons of asbestos were revealed," Bulbul claimed.

However, the Turkish authorities have rejected these claims and insisted that the dismantling process is legal.

Turkish Minister for Environment and Urbanisation Murat Kurum dismissed reports that the vessel contained 900 tons of asbestos and said it contained only 9.6 tons of asbestos,...