Adnan Khan on the human toll of Turkey’s importing of Europe’s waste

January 20, 2026

Turkey Book Talk #262 – Journalist Adnan Khan on the spectacular growth of Turkey’s plastic waste imports and the role of migrant labour in the sector.

Adnan is the author of two major investigations for the Middle East Research and Information Project (MERIP): “A Deadly Trade – Refugee Labor in Turkey and Europe’s Plastic Waste” and “Dirty Work – The Hidden Machinery and Human Toll of Europe’s Broken Recycling Trade”.

The articles paint a grim portrait of how a confluence of circumstances, including the EU-Turkey migration deal and China’s banning of plastic waste imports, has helped the industry to flourish in Turkey – with deadly human consequences.

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