For tomorrow(961)For solidarity between Turkey and Japan

by Toshiya MORITA (20141029 00:30)

 

I attended the International conference for a future after Chernobyl and Fukushima in Poland.

 

This conference was wonderful.

And we succeeded to make strong global tie.

 

I also made a presentation at its opening session.

I introduce you this presentation.

Please read it!

 

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For solidarity between Turkey and Japan

by Toshiya MORITA

20141023 in Poland

 

Thank you so much for inviting me to this conference.

I am a journalist, who lives in Kyoto, Japan. 

My father is one of survivors of Hiroshima Atomic bomb.

My mother is one of survivors of the Great Tokyo air raid during the World War 2.

So, I hate wars, especially nuclear weapons and I also hate nuclear power plants.

This is one of reasons why I have been working hard to protect people from radioactive exposure.

 

Last March, IBB invited me to Turkey as a witness of Fukushima nuclear disaster.

I wanted to talk to Turkish people too, because Japanese government wants to export nuclear power plant to the country.

 

After attending the opening session in Dortmund, I went to Turkey with Mr. Alper Oektem.

Ms.Pinar Demircan joined us in Istanbul. She is an activist in Turkey. She can speak fluent Japanese.

 

During my stay in Turkey, I visited Istanbul, Sinop and Izmir.

I made presentations about Fukushima nuclear disaster.

 

Fukushima’s crippled nuclear power plant has been broken down severely.

The radiation levels of reactor No.1~3 are so high that no one can enter inside of these reactors.

So we don't even know what is going on there.

 

Soon after March 11th, Japanese government calculated the worst-case scenario.

They understood that people within a 170-km radius of the broken nuclear power plant must be evacuated.

 

Most important thing is that this crisis has not passed yet.

The crippled plant can fall down when another earthquake hits it.

However, there are so many people still living in the dangerous zone.

They worry the high radiation level, but they cannot move out.

And both national and local governments encourage to stay, or even to come back to this dangerous zone.

This is the reality of the nuclear power plant disaster Japan faces today.

 

Of course, many Japanese people have been criticizing Japanese government.

They have been making a plenty of demonstrations.

 

A lot of young mothers have stood up against the government.

This is a rare phenomenon in Japan - Japanese ladies are known to be kind and modest.

However, I think this is a wonderful thing for our country.

These young women and mothers standing up against the authority is a symbol that Japan is changing!

  

These demonstrations have been made in many parts of Japan.

Many people gather and demonstrate in front of the prime minister's house in Tokyo every Friday evening.

Today, this Friday demonstrations are held in more than 150 cities.

 

I introduced these actions when I visited Turkey, and Turkish audience showed so much interest in my presentations.

I felt their strong sympathy.

It made me happy.

 

I was most impressed in Sinop.

The city is the planned construction site of a nuclear power plant.

I visited there on March 11th, the third anniversary of Fukushima disaster.

About 200 people came to hear my presentation, in the city of 40,000 residents.

After my presentation, every one stood up and applauded me.

The meeting was filled with excitement.

 

That day, the boy who was shot by gas bullet by Turkish police in 2013, passed away.

In 2013, Turkish people stood up against government to save the people's park in Istanbul.

The boy was a pedestrian, not a demonstrator.

But Turkish police shot so many gas bullets at people, and one of them hit the boy's head.

After our meeting, the demonstration started and I joined the demonstration too.

 

From these experiences, I learned how aggressive Turkish government is.

But I also learned that Turkish people stand against the government strongly.

Turkish people have power and they resist against their aggressive government strongly.

 

Next day, local people of Sinop took me to the planned site of a nuclear power plant.

It was such a beautiful site!

It is a resort place for Turkish people.

I thought we must stop construction of nuclear power plant at such a wonderful site.

I took many pictures of the place, hoping to share this information and make strong tie between Turkish people and Japanese people to stop exporting nuclear power plant. 

After visiting Turkey, I learned that Japanese government were trying to ratify an nuclear agreement between Turkey and Japan.

I contacted FoE (Friends of the Earth) Japan in Tokyo, one of NGOs working against exporting nuclear power plant.

We tried to persuade the Diet members to cancel that agreement.

We obtained the wonderful letter which was sent from Turkish anti-nuclear alliance to the Diet member, so we introduced it to the Diet members and Japanese people.

 

I also made many presentations and told Japanese audience how beautiful Sinop is.

I said it is our responsibility to prevent exporting nuclear power plant from Japan to Turkey.

 

Meanwhile, the mayor of Gerze city in Sinop asked me to come to Gerze to attend their anti-nuclear event.

I was very glad to hear that.

A woman who lives in Gerze listened to my speech in Sinop last March, and she persuaded the mayor to hold the similar meeting in Gerze.

Ms Yoshida of FoE JAPAN, Ms. Angelika Claussen, Mr. Alper of IPPNW Germany, and Ms. Martina Faseler of IBB also attended this event.

Of course Ms. Pinar joined us as very important key person for solidarity of Turks and Japanese people.I met a lot of nice local people in Sinop again.

We have made a very good team!

 

In Gerze, a summer festival was held and high school students showed us very nice dance.

After that performance, we held anti-nuclear event at the seaside.

I told local people same things I told in March presentation, and people listened to me very hard this time too.

After that, many participants joined the heated discussion.

Turkish people are very enthusiastic!

 

During the stay, we could also make a short trip to Erfelek and we met the mayor of Erfelek.

He said "Chernobyl disaster heavily polluted seaside of the Black sea in Turkey.

Nobody in this area is free from fear of cancer. So I absolutely oppose against nuclear power plant. I want to save local people," he said.

We promised to make strong cooperation.

We will fight together!

 

After this summer trip to Turkey, I have held meetings about Turkey many times.

I have asked Japanese people to join us.

I believe that nuclear issues are global issues.

So most important thing is our global solidarity.

For our future, I will visit Turkey again and again.

I hope I can contribute to build a strong tie between Turkish people and Japanese people.

Together, we work to save beautiful Sinop.

 

At the end of my speech, I'd like to share these words with you.

Power to the People!

 
Thank you.