Environmental campaigners have been engaging in protests for the fourth consecutive day against the clearing of trees to facilitate the expansion of a coal mine in southwest Turkey. According to a lawyer involved in the protests, clashes with the police have resulted in the detention of 14 individuals this week.
To prevent protesters from accessing the woodland in Mugla province, authorities have deployed armored vehicles and security forces. Tear gas and water cannon have been sporadically employed by the police to disperse the activists since Monday.
The Turkish forestry ministry granted permission to YK Energy, a Turkish company, in 2020 to extend the mine into 780 acres of forest in the Akbelen area. However, the court has yet to reach a verdict on a lawsuit filed by local residents challenging these permissions.
In 2021, locals sought an injunction and initiated a vigil in the forest. Nevertheless, in 2022, a court lifted the stay of execution, and officials from the companies involved claimed that there were no legal obstacles to their actions.
Activists claim that if deforestation continues, the Akbelen forest will be completely destroyed by July 31.
Esra Isik, a spokesperson for the local environmental committee, stated that some activists were hospitalized, and her grandmother fainted during clashes with the police. Despite the challenges, they remain determined to continue their resistance.
YK Energy was acquired for $2.67 billion in a privatization tender in 2014 by Turkey’s Limak Group and IC Ictas. Limak Holding, the parent company, declined to comment on the ongoing developments.
The protests have garnered national attention, prompting a delegation led by Turkey’s main opposition CHP leader Kemal Kilicdaroglu to plan a visit to the affected Akbelen area on Friday in solidarity with the protesters.
On Thursday, locals held a demonstration in front of the administrative court in Mugla, holding a banner demanding “Justice for Akbelen.”
Arman Atılgan, a lawyer representing the protesters, revealed that 14 activists have been detained this week, facing accusations of “resisting police officers.” At the time of reporting, the Mugla police had not responded to requests for immediate comments.
Over the past 35 years, eight villages in Mugla have been cleared to make way for coal mines, as reported by the NGO Climate Action Network Europe.
