Penalties to be given to those who pollute the environment in 2025 have been announced

The Ministry's circular regarding administrative fines to be imposed pursuant to the Environmental Law No. 2872 was published in the Official Gazette. Accordingly, the fines to be imposed on individuals and organizations acting contrary to the Environmental Law in 2025 were increased by the revaluation rate of 43.93 percent.

As of January 1, motor vehicle owners who do not have their exhaust gas emissions measured will pay a fine of 14,310 lira, and if the same vehicle causes emissions that are contrary to the standards set by the regulations, they will pay a fine of 28,637 lira.

A fine of 14,310 lira will be imposed on motor vehicle owners who use vehicles without exhaust gas emission control systems. Those who have an Exhaust Gas Emission Authorization Certificate but continue to take measurements after being determined to have lost the conditions regulated by the regulation or who take measurements contrary to their technique and the rules will be fined 57,279 lira.

Those who establish and operate facilities that are subject to permits due to their impact on air pollution without obtaining permission from the authorities, who continue to establish and operate despite the cancellation of the permit, who make changes to these facilities later without obtaining permission, or who fail to make the changes deemed necessary by the authorities within the given time period will pay a fine of 668 thousand 677 lira. If the emission amounts in these facilities exceed the limits determined by the regulation, the administrative fine to be paid will be 1 million 337 thousand 445 lira.

Those who do not comply with the principles and criteria determined by the Ministry regarding the control of volatile organic compounds released from terminals, filling islands or fuel stations and any kind of mechanism and facility used in the storage, filling and transportation of gasoline and naphtha by tankers will be subject to an administrative fine of 415 thousand 495 lira for terminals or filling islands, 207 thousand 747 lira for fuel stations and 20 thousand 771 lira for tankers.

Those who import or sell substances that do not meet the specifications of solid fuels, or who do not comply with regulations regarding the storage, transportation, loading, unloading or bagging of solid fuels will be subject to an administrative fine of 114,584 lira, and 171,881 lira if documents or permits are not obtained.

Those who act contrary to the commitment they made during the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) process will pay 278 thousand 536 lira for each violation.

Penalties for vessels polluting the sea were also increased per gross ton.

Noise fine in residence is 11 thousand lira

An administrative fine of 1 million 671 thousand 844 lira will be imposed on those who do not establish mandatory waste reception, pre-treatment, purification or disposal facilities and those who establish them but do not operate them.

The fine for residences that cause noise and vibration in violation of standards will be 11,035 lira, for transportation vehicles 33,326 lira, for workplaces and workshops 111,361 lira, and for factories and construction sites 334,297 lira. The fine for entertainment noise has also been determined as 334,297 lira.

A fine of 668 thousand 677 liras was imposed on those who disposed of waste without taking precautions.

Those who dump waste in the ground in a manner contrary to the standards stipulated in the law and regulation or without taking precautions will be fined 668 thousand 677 lira, and if this act is committed in relation to residences, a fine of 16 thousand 609 lira will be imposed for each residence and independent section. This criminal liability will belong to the user of the residence in detached residences and to the manager in other residences.

A fine of 557 thousand 212 lira will be imposed on those who destroy biological diversity, act contrary to the protection and use principles determined for the declared Special Environmental Protection Areas, and act contrary to the protection and use procedures and principles determined by the regulation for wetlands.

Penalties for those burning stubble near forests will increase fivefold

Those who burn stubble in violation of the law will pay 556.71 lira for each decare. If the act of burning stubble is committed in areas adjacent to forests and wetlands or in residential areas, the penalty will be increased fivefold.

An administrative fine of 1 million 337 thousand 445 lira will be imposed on those who discharge waste into drinking and utility water protection areas, the source itself, the surface and underground waters that feed this source, and irrigation and drainage channels in violation of the protection principles in the law. If this act is committed in relation to residences, the fine amount will be 33 thousand 326 lira for each residence and independent section.

Those who collect, transport, temporarily and interim store, recover, recycle, reuse or dispose of waste contrary to the procedures and principles, prohibitions or limitations in the legislation will be fined from 623 thousand 242 lira to 2 million 492 thousand 979 lira, while those who import will pay 2 million 077 thousand 481 lira.

6,923 lira fine for those who pollute the environment in public places

The penalty for polluting the environment in public places in any way has been determined as 6,923 lira. The regulation has also increased the fines for those who allow hazardous waste to enter the country, collect, store and export it illegally.

Sales points that are found to be giving away plastic bags free of charge or in violation of the procedures and principles determined by the Ministry in violation of the relevant legislation will be fined 114.55 lira for each square meter of the closed sales area excluding the warehouse area, and those selling electronically will be fined from 20 thousand 771 lira to 207 thousand 747 lira.

In addition, a fine of 103 thousand 872 lira will be imposed on those who produce, supply, or, if the producer is outside of Turkey, on the representative authorized by the producer and/or importer of plastic bags that do not comply with the procedures and principles determined by the Ministry, and a fine of 10 thousand 385 lira will be imposed on those who do not comply with the principles determined regarding the recycling participation share.

The fine amount to be paid by those who do not submit the greenhouse gas emission monitoring plan or do not update it within the time limit, in violation of the prohibitions or limitations regarding the monitoring of greenhouse gas emissions, has increased to 166 thousand 197 lira, and the fine amount to be paid by those who do not submit the verified greenhouse gas emission report within the time limit has increased to 249 thousand 296 lira.