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The inhabitants of the Akbelen forest, in southwestern Turkey, are not giving up.They literally cling to trees, with the intent of protect them from deforestation which the Turkish company YK Energy, close to the Government, would like to complete.A land of approximately 780 acres which, if it were not for the obstinacy of the citizens, would have already been razed to the ground - as has happened in the last 35 years to 8 villages in the area - to allow an existing coal mine to grow even bigger .A tenacity that did not stop even under the blows of the batons and tear gas, tools that the Turkish gendarmerie used in an attempt to remove the activists.
For the last 2 years, brave locals, both young & old, have put their bodies on the line to defend the forest's century old trees.Now they are being met with batons and tear gas by Turkish gendarmerie who are protecting the interests of the coal industry, and not local people. pic.twitter.com/urRJfoISoY
— Beyond Fossil Fuels (@Beyond_Fossils) July 26, 2023
Local resistance has been going on for a long time now.Forestry operators hired by YK Energy as early as July 2021 they had cut down 30 trees, despite the first administrative court of Muğla having ruled that no one could proceed with the eviction until the case was finally closed.Since then, the local population has been keeping constant watch over the forest, intensifying controls starting from the end of 2022, when a report drawn up by some experts appointed by the court established that the one in Akbelen could be considered a forest suitable for mining.With the consequent revocation of the temporary stop on tree cutting, which the company began tearing down on July 24th.Date from which the clashes between police - who even deployed armored vehicles - and demonstrators intensified.
Akbelen'de bugün jandarma vekillere ve köylülere müdahale etti.Jop, TOMA, biber gazı ve gaz bombasının kullanıldığı müdahalede onlarca insan etkilendi. #AkbeleneDokunma pic.twitter.com/bfFH2fGjSW
— Ka (@kazimkizil) July 26, 2023
On the other hand, YK Energy would be willing to do anything:for the company, expanding the coal mine is essential to keep the power plants present in the area alive - this material provides more a quarter of Turkey's primary energy and its industry generates more than a third of the country's electricity.
«As tens of thousands of people across the Mediterranean region flee wildfires caused by the climate crisis, it is incomprehensible that a company is allowed to destroy a forest – one of our most important carbon sinks – to expand a coal mine », commented an activist.Especially if it's Akbelen's, an important habitat for reproduction, nesting and provisioning of a large variety of bird species, including protected ones.
But, according to YK Energy, which rejects all the accusations, its commitment «since 1987 is to make the most of local resources, which can help Turkey meet energy demand and contribute to the economy and well-being.Our extraction activities meet international standards and fit within the framework of the company's sustainability vision."
The activists, in response, launched a online petition, to underline that «we were sent away from our homes, they took away our land and water, they polluted the air we breathe, they made us sick and die. We no longer want to sacrifice our nature and our living spaces and give away more years of our lives to coal.We reclaim our right to speak for our future!
[by Gloria Ferrari]