Turkish court belatedly halts dismantling of 'radioactive' ship

A court in ?zmir has ordered a stay of execution in the controversial dismantling of an oil refining ship that allegedly contained radioactive waste - but only after most of the vessel had already been dismantled.

The ?zmir 3rd Administrative Court released its order for a stay of execution on Oct. 16, just days before the dismantling was set to be completed.

In its defense previously sent to the court, the Environment and Urban Planning Ministry said there were no grounds for preventing the dismantling. However, the court unanimously decided that the dismantling was not lawful, adding that the dismantling could lead to "damages that would be difficult to reverse." 

Permission for dismantling of the Kuito violates a hazardous waste ordinance, the court said.

Baran Bozo?lu, chair of the Center for Environmental Studies at the Chamber of Environment Engineers (ÇMO), a subgroup of the Union of Chambers of Turkish Engineers and Architects (TMMOB), recalled that they had fiercely opposed the dismantling when it first came onto the agenda. 

The ÇMO eventually filed a complaint in February to halt the dismantling. 

"Justice delayed is justice denied," Bozo?lu told daily Hürriyet on Nov. 12. "We issued warnings even before the ship arrived in our territorial waters. We said, 'This ship cannot come to Turkey according to our regulation.' Our warnings were overlooked and then we took the matter to the court. The Environment and Urban Planning Ministry checked the enormous ship in two hours and permitted the dismantling, saying, 'It is clean of hazardous waste.' The ship is already dismantled," he said, voicing regret. 

"Uncertainties still remain about the disposal of the hazardous waste. Where did all that waste...