Abstract
Due to its economic development and increasing population, Turkey s energy consumption is expected to grow. In accordance with this need the country has instituted regulations to support energy production based on renewable sources. In Turkey, the main type of renewable energy is hydropower. According to the Electricity Market Regulatory Authority (EMRA) record of 2011, 525 hydro power plants (HPPs) were being constructed. On the other hand, hydropower is a quite contentious issue in Turkey; the economic benefit is indisputable, but the environmental outcomes of these projects are subject to criticism. Numerous environmental groups and local people are fighting against HPPs. However, the government is determined to maintain its policies concerning hydropower. In most developmental projects there is an inherent conflict between developing the project and preserving the environment. During the past decades Turkey's governmental institutions have tended to place the development above the environment. All types of power generation involve some adverse impacts; consequently, a certain degree of adverse impacts are tolerated. However, development should not cause catastrophic environmental damage, and therefore an effective Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) process is of vital importance. In this study, Turkey s EIA Regulation was analyzed in accordance with international principles in order to determine whether Turkish EIA Regulation is sufficient to protect the environment against HPP projects or not. In this context, the United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP) Principles for EIA were used, as they are representative of international standards. After finding out the strengths and weaknesses of Turkey s EIA Regulation, the consequences were analyzed to determine if they adequately protect the environment against HPPs.