Within the scope of World Environment Day on June 5th, Bodrum Municipality's Directorate of Cleaning Affairs organized an open-air exhibition on Neyzen Tevfik Street, Tepecik Square throughout the day.

The event, attended by the Mayor Ahmet Aras, the Deputy Mayor Tayfun Yılmaz, Yaşar Çelikan, the Director of Cleaning Affairs; Arif Yılmaz, the President of Bodrum City Council; municipal council members, students and teachers from various schools in Bodrum, citizens, and municipal staff.

During the program, recycling companies, NGOs, and the Directorate of Cleaning Affairs, who have protocols with Bodrum Municipality, set up stands in the area. Children were offered cookies, popcorn, and cotton candy at the stands, and souvenirs commemorating World Environment Day were distributed to students, teachers, and citizens.

A Bodrum Memories Tag was in the area, and free photography sessions were also conducted. Photographs depicting both the polluted views and the most beautiful views of Bodrum were exhibited. Mayor Ahmet Aras, along with students and teachers, visited the stands one by one, providing information on various topics such as recycling, the transformation of vegetable waste oil, and items made from waste. At the same time, children prepared posters expressing their thoughts on garbage and hung them on the thought wall.

In the event area, the wastes collected in Değirmenler Mevkii on the same day were also exhibited, with the participation of "Mis Gibi 1 Bodrum," TEMÇEV, and TÜRÇEV stands.

Speaking at the event, Yaşar Çelikan, the Director of Cleaning Affairs, emphasized the importance of citizens taking responsibility for environmental cleanliness in his speech, stating, "It is unfair to burden the cleaning problem in our city only on a public institution and its employees. If our citizens adhere to the rules and take responsibility for the cleanliness of their own streets, we will face a much cleaner Bodrum."

Arif Yılmaz, the President of Bodrum City Council, stated that with the existing staff, they have reached a certain point in a place that is Turkey's most popular and densely populated, and mentioned the presence of sensitive civil initiatives in Bodrum, thanking them all.

Deputy Mayor Tayfun Yılmaz stated that Bodrum Municipality's Directorate of Cleaning Affairs continues its services for the cleanliness of the city with 360 field personnel. He said, "Without personal responsibility and self-discipline of individuals, even if we had 1,000 staff members instead of 360, it would still not be very likely to create a clean city."

Starting his speech by thanking those involved in organizing this event, Ahmet Arasi the Mayor of Bodrum stated, "People have always assumed that they own nature. That's not true. We are not the owners of nature and the world. We are just a part of it." Mayor Aras continued, "If nature disappears, we will also disappear. The human race is also heading towards self-destruction, that's very clear. When we look at the world's population at the beginning of this century and where it has reached now, everyone will see the dire situation there. Population growth is a factor that increases waste amounts, greenhouse gas emissions, and marine pollution. If we continue with population growth and this waste, the human race will eventually destroy itself. The way to prevent this is through awareness campaigns. We must teach our children that we are not the owners of nature but a part of it. Therefore, I find this event organized today, on World Environment Day, very important."

After the event, Mayor Ahmet Aras visited Cumhuriyet Middle School, where he chatted with students and toured the school with the school administration.

Waste Collection/Sorting Activity in Gerenkuyu

In collaboration with the Turkish Environmental Education Foundation (TÜRÇEV) and Bodrum Municipality, a beach cleaning event was organized at Gerenkuyu Beach in Yalı neighborhood of Bodrum as part of the European Environment Agency's "Marine Litter Watch Program."

The event, planned by Bodrum Municipality's Directorate of Support Services, was attended by teachers and students. During the event, hats and t-shirts were distributed, and banners prepared by students were displayed in the event area.

The event, conducted within the framework of the European Marine Litter Watch Program (MLW), is planned to be held four times a year. The collected waste from the cleaning event will provide a basis for scientific research after examination.