Ownership of the Idea: The Memory of Water, Development and Loyalty in the Western Black Sea Region

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Hakkı Çılgınoğlu  and the Assessment of Spring Waters

When integrated with planned dam and artificial lake systems, the water resources of the Western Black Sea form a multi-purpose resource management model: they provide a secure reserve for drinking and domestic water supply, particularly for metropolitan areas such as Istanbul and Ankara; they support rural development by increasing agricultural irrigation capacity; they contribute to energy supply through hydroelectric power generation; they control flooding and reduce the risk of floods; diversifies tourism revenues through lake-based recreation, ecotourism and the ‘lakes region’ approach; provides process water for industry; and also serves as a strategic buffer mechanism for water storage and drought management in the face of climate change. At the macro level, the “Water-based Development” vision we have established in Düzce is being institutionalised through the three pillars of the Western Black Sea Council, the Western Black Sea Development Union (BAKAB) and the Western Black Sea Equal Opportunities Association (BAKFED), at the micro-level, the utilisation of high-quality spring waters in the hinterland of the Küre and Ilgaz Mountains is progressing through public-private partnerships. In this context, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Hakkı Çılgınoğlu of Kastamonu University, who spurred the Provincial Special Administration into action through the vision, scientific guidance and persistent follow-up he demonstrated in the early stages of the Kastamonu drinking water process, stands out as one of the key figures.

Kastamonu Spring Water Tender: The following tender announcement prompted this article. As a local advocate who views the water resources of the Western Black Sea region as the foundation for planning and development, and who aims to address the water needs of Ankara and Istanbul through water-based development, I was delighted. Suddenly, I was reminded of the special efforts and vision of an academic colleague working in this field. For development and its constituent investments are often judged by their outcomes; yet true development and the fruits of investment begin long before the outcome: at the very moment an idea is born… In that first instant when it takes shape within a mind, even before it is on anyone’s agenda. This, however, is a profound understanding that only faithful and analytical hearts and minds can grasp.

The water projects in the Western Black Sea region, which went out to tender on 16 June and are being discussed for conversion into economic value, are in fact the fruit of intellectual seeds sown years ago. The approach developed in 2019 to integrate the water resources of Mount Ilgaz—which were lying idle—into the economy was not merely a technical proposal; it was also an early and powerful expression of a development perspective.

The scientific approach that emphasised the need to analyse not just the presence but also the quality of the water back then has now been validated by concrete data. With a pH value measured between 8.2 and 8.4, this water is not merely an ordinary natural resource; it is a strategic asset capable of generating high added value.

Loyalty to Ideas is a Matter of Social Ethics

However, the real issue here is not technical, but ethical.

A development practice where ideas remain unseen and the contributors are not acknowledged is unsustainable. Because development is not merely about investment; it is also a matter of institutional memory, intellectual labour and loyalty.

Loyalty is not only an emotional attachment but also a ‘conscience and intellectual ethics’ that demonstrates fidelity to the ground on which the idea was conceived, the owner of the labour and the process through which knowledge emerges. In long-term, multi-stakeholder processes such as water-based development in the Western Black Sea region, loyalty requires recognising the scientific contributions, fieldwork and institutional will that make the project possible—not rendering them invisible, but rather defining them as foundational values. This approach preserves the memory of water and acknowledges the rights of the human labour that reads that memory and carries it into the future; for true development is institutionalised not merely through infrastructure, but through a culture of fair remembrance and proper attribution. Undoubtedly, the rights of decision-makers will be acknowledged, just as those of implementers will be. The group that is consistently treated with the least generosity when it comes to acknowledging their due, however, is the intellectual labourers in societies where intellectual property rights have not developed. In this context, it is particularly important to emphasise that one of the leading figures in the process of evaluating Kastamonu’s drinking water—noted for the vision he articulated in the early stages, his scientific guidance, and his persistent follow-up—is Assoc. Prof. Dr. Hakkı Çilingiroğlu of Kastamonu University. In addition to the intellectual contributors whose names we do not know, his pioneering role in the process of analysing the water, bringing the issue to the institutional agenda, and generating ideas for converting resources into economic value is commendable. The report below is the product of these and similar intellectual endeavours. In this context, as BAKFED and the Western Black Sea Council, we congratulate Assoc. Prof. Dr. Hakkı Çilingiroğlu for his outstanding efforts, vision and contributions towards the evaluation of Kastamonu’s drinking water.

REPORT OF THE PLANNING AND BUDGET COMMITTEE OF THE KASTAMONU PROVINCIAL SPECIAL ADMINISTRATION PROVINCIAL GENERAL ASSEMBLY – 28 June 2019 –

Discussed at the 4th session of the Provincial General Assembly on 14 June 2019 and referred to our Committee, the rapid urbanisation process in our country has made it impossible to meet the demand for drinking water in major cities through the mains supply. It is well known that our province possesses abundant water resources. It is believed that the establishment of a natural spring water bottling plant, along with the bottling and distribution of such water, would make a significant contribution to our province’s economy. Taking these matters into account, with the aim of enabling the Provincial Special Administration to acquire a natural spring water bottling plant and to pave the way for private investors to establish such a facility, regarding the determination of the approximate cost of the natural spring water bottling plant, the investigation of financing sources such as loans and grants, and an examination of budgetary possibilities,

our Planning and Budget Committee conducted research and inspections at the Asya Su facilities located in Düzce Province. The Asya Water Plant has been established on a 4,000 m² enclosed area. This facility carries out the bottling of bottled water in 0.50, 1, 1.5 and 5-litre sizes, as well as the filling of water in jugs. Bottled water in 0.5, 1 and 1.5-litre plastic containers is produced at the facility. The 5-litre and jug containers are purchased from external suppliers. The water source is located 14 km away, and water is transported to the facility. According to the company owner, the installation cost ranges between 15,000,000 TL and 30,000,000 TL, depending on the facility’s capacity. Fifty workers operate in three shifts at the facility. According to data published by the Artvin Chamber of Commerce in 2013, the production and filling capacity for 0.5-litre bottles is (7,980 units/hour * 22 hours/day * 300 days) = 26,334,000 units/year; the production and filling capacity for 1.5-litre bottles is (7,980 units/hour * 22 hours/day * 300 days) = 26,334,000 units/year, and the production and filling capacity for 5-litre bottles (750 units/hour * 22 hours/day * 300 days) = 4,950,000 units/year TOTAL INVESTMENT AMOUNT: 12,575,433 TL INVESTMENT PERIOD: 10 months CAPACITY UTILISATION RATE: 96% EMPLOYMENT CAPACITY: 67 people / 3 shifts. PAYBACK PERIOD: 967 days RETURN ON CAPITAL: 0.28 NET PRESENT VALUE: 6,016,020 TL. When the total investment amount of 12,575,433 TL is multiplied by the present value factor of 2.25, the result is 28,294,724.25 TL.

The data from Asya Su and the Artvin Chamber of Commerce are consistent with one another. The report prepared item by item by the Artvin Chamber of Commerce is attached. Our Commission visited the site known as Kanlı Çeşme, located approximately 10 km from Kızıleller Village on the northern side of Yurdum Tepe on Ilgaz Mountain in our province, accompanied by a technical officer from the Water and Sewerage Services Directorate, and a water sample was taken; the analysis results are awaited. In addition, a bottling plant could be established for the water sources in Kızılca Elma, Bozkurt District, where work was previously carried out for investment purposes, and in the villages of Selhattin and İnciğez, Devrekani District, where tenders were previously held and subsequently cancelled. Our Commission deems it appropriate for the Commission Report to be approved by our Council and forwarded to the Provincial Special Administration, with a view to undertaking work in the coming years to establish a natural spring water bottling plant—either through the Provincial Special Administration or via a private company—for the aforementioned drinking water sources, with the aim of revitalising our province’s economy and creating employment. Submitted to our Assembly. 28 / 06 / 2019

Water-Based Development and Planning Approach: The Water-Based Development Approach and the Water-Based Planning Approach have taken centre stage in development discussions across the Western Black Sea region since the Düzce Summit held in May; they have emerged as a new paradigm that positions water both as a sectoral resource and as the primary planning axis determining regional development.

This approach aims to integrate dam, lake and river systems through a basin-based management framework, bringing together areas such as drinking water security, agricultural production, energy supply, flood control and ecotourism within a single strategic framework. At the same time, by enabling the redefinition of the Western Black Sea as the ‘lake region’, it fosters a holistic planning culture that addresses both the economic value of water and its ecological sustainability.

In this context, the Düzce Summit represents a turning point where the concept of water-based development has gained institutional visibility and been translated into a regional planning framework. Thus, water-based development transforms into an integrated development paradigm centred on water-based planning and institutions, bringing together not only infrastructure investments but also institutional coordination, scientific guidance, development through endogenous resources, and the principle of long-term sustainability. Such pioneering initiatives, which represent the most concrete example of a water-based development approach in the Western Black Sea region, have the potential to alter the destiny of a region: it is precisely at this point that the water-based development approach comes into its own. Water is not merely a natural resource; it is also an economic asset, a source of tourism and health potential, the main axis of regional development, and a strategic element for the future.

Vision and Loyalty: The Reality of Memory:

Today, we met with one of our regional MPs at the Turkish Grand National Assembly and had a heartfelt conversation over tea about regional development. During the meeting, he shared his assessment that, despite the Western Black Sea region being one of the areas that has historically suffered the highest number of martyrs, this heavy toll has not yielded a concrete response in development policies, and that this alone cannot serve as a justification for investment demands. This approach demonstrates that a perspective which fails to adequately account for the socio-economic consequences of over a century of structural neglect still persists.

However, the fact that the TR82 (KUZKA) region ranks among Turkey’s lowest-income regions, as per TÜİK data, necessitates an understanding not only of current economic conditions but also of the indirect effects of historical ruptures—particularly the heavy losses suffered by the region’s people during the Gallipoli and War of Independence campaigns. This reality is a matter of structural justice and balance that must be taken into account by all decision-makers of the independent Republic of Turkey; consequently, a reassessment of investment priorities is imperative.

On the other hand, whilst the current assessment that “there is insufficient passenger and freight capacity” regarding railway projects is technically partly understandable, the real issue is not whether this capacity already exists, but how it can be increased through investment. This is because infrastructure investments generate not only current demand but also new economic ecosystems. In this context, when the potential freight and passenger capacity of alternative projects such as the İspir–Rize line is compared with the strategic contribution of lines along the Kastamonu–Ankara or Istanbul–Sinop axes, the impact of regional inequalities on transport policies becomes more clearly apparent.

Similarly, it is clear that past assessments regarding Organised Industrial Zones (OSB) need to be re-examined from a different perspective today. For development is a process built over time through proper planning, infrastructure and visionary investment decisions, alongside current economic indicators.

In conclusion, the issue is not a debate over investment priorities; it is a matter of development justice that requires the historical burden, regional inequalities and a vision for the future to be addressed together. What is truly needed here is the institutionalisation of a holistic approach capable of bringing ‘data and vision’, and ‘technical analysis and historical memory’ together at the same table. The spring water emerging from Küre and Ilgaz can be branded at both national and international levels through proper planning, the right vision and genuine ownership. The Western Black Sea region has the potential to meet the entire water demand of Ankara and Istanbul. However, this requires two fundamental principles: vision and loyalty.

CONCLUSION

The debate on development in the Western Black Sea region must be understood not merely through current indicators, but through a historical legacy and a long-overdue planning mindset. At this juncture, a water-based development approach offers a strategic framework that unites the region’s fragmented investments at a catchment scale and makes its potential visible.

A critical aspect of this process is ensuring that our Western Black Sea heroes—who hold a place of great honour amongst all the martyrs and veterans who sacrificed their lives to secure our independence—are recognised, that our region becomes the nation’s locomotive of development, and that the intellectual labour of our economic region is correctly identified and its rights granted. Although there is a risk of it being viewed as an individual example, the contribution of Assoc.Prof. Dr. Hakkı Çılgınoğlu —through scientific guidance, institutional persistence and process monitoring, particularly regarding the Kastamonu drinking water project—serves as a concrete reference point for this transformation.

Consequently, the issue lies in realising the undeniable importance of correctly interpreting the intellectual infrastructure and the chain of labour that make these projects possible. This is also an excellent method for preventing local and regional conflicts.

Undoubtedly, sustainable development in the Western Black Sea region will only gain meaning through the recognition of this intellectual continuity, as much as through technical investments.

Shifting from the ‘I’ to the ‘we’ is also the shortest path to cooperation and unity.