The new stop of the environmental cleaning movement carried out within the scope of the “Respect Nature with Zero Waste” Project initiated by the Ministry of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change of the Republic of Turkey and OPET in order to popularize zero waste conversion in fuel stations and strengthen environmental awareness is the Marmara Region. The environmental cleaning movement, planned to be carried out in 7 provinces to be selected from 7 regions of Türkiye, continued in Istanbul after Antalya and Ankara.
OPET Board of Directors Founding Member Nurten Öztürk, OPET General Manager Özgür Kahramanzade, Çekmeköy Deputy Mayor Seyfettin Yıldırım, Ministry of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change Istanbul Provincial Directorate Zero Waste Branch Manager Elif Morina Yılmaz, Çekmeköy Municipality Climate Change Branch Manager Metehan Yılmaz, students and many volunteers attended the environmental cleaning event held in Istanbul Çekmeköy on Tuesday, April 21. The waste collected at the event, where station employees in Istanbul of OPET, which will pioneer zero waste transformation in the sector with its wide station network, terminals and offices, will be transformed into symbolic applications. The painting made by artist Sündüz Yılmaz from the waste collected within the scope of the project started to be exhibited at OPET Çekmeköy South Station in order to raise awareness.
“THIS IS JUST THE BEGINNING”
In his speech at the event, he stated that he was very happy that children were among the participants. OPET Founding Member of the Board of Directors Nurten Öztürk“I have worked as a teacher for 13 years. I know how important it is to learn by doing and experiencing. That’s why being here with children is very valuable to me. Our main goal here is to raise awareness while collecting garbage by separating it and to reveal the damage that garbage causes to nature, the environment and our economy. If we do not collect this garbage, it will mix with the soil, water and seas with rain and pollute our air. We are starting a movement, this is a mobilization movement. From here to all of Türkiye.” “I’m calling out, come on, be with us, let our country get rid of waste,” he said.
Pointing out the Respect for Nature Project that they started as OPET after the major forest fires in the Aegean in 2021, Öztürk continued his words as follows:
“Our aim was to reveal the effect of garbage thrown into nature on fires while rehabilitating the villages affected by fires. However, we are aware that a social awareness must be created for a radical solution to this problem. In accordance with the protocol we signed with our Ministry on April 8, 2026, we have started another leg of our project by saying “Respect Nature with Zero Waste” at our own stations. As OPET, we reach 77 thousand schools within the scope of the “Clean Tomorrow Starts from Schools” Project. EBA “We want to carry this project to our schools by teaching environmental issues to our children through (Education Information Network). That’s why we say this is a beginning. We will organize events in 7 regions, representing each region, and our activities in Antalya, Ankara and Istanbul will continue in our other provinces.”
“OUR AIM IS TO CARRY THE SUCCESS OF THE CLEAN TOILET CAMPAIGN HERE TOO”
OPET General Manager Özgür Kahramanzade in his speech, “Our aim in our Respect for Nature Project is to protect the future beyond preventing forest fires. Now, we have stepped into a new project under the leadership of our Founding Member of the Board of Directors, Nurten Öztürk. The Clean Toilet Campaign, which Ms. Nurten started with great sacrifice, cost the whole of Türkiye and achieved great success. Our aim is to carry the same success here, to solve the waste issue throughout the country and to transform it into social awareness.”
Automobile Magazine – English
