Gendarmerie teared gas to the villagers defending Akbelen Forest against the coal mine: 8 people were detained, 4 people were injured

 EVRENSEL DAILY 

25 July 2023 

Synopsis     

 Coal mine teams, accompanied by soldiers, began cutting trees in Akbelen Forest in Turkey. Villagers who resisted were confronted by the gendarmerie, resulting in 8 detentions and 4 injuries. The villagers called for support in protecting their forest from destruction. The gendarmerie used pepper spray and set up barricades to suppress resistance. The villagers emphasized the need for forest protection and criticized the government's association with the mining company. Several villagers voiced their despair and called for help. Lawyers announced plans to file a complaint against those responsible, and organizations expressed support for the villagers' cause. 

 

Coal mine teams entered Milas Akbelen Forest in the morning with soldiers and started to cut trees. Gendarmerie intervened the villagers who opposed the cutting. 8 people were detained and 4 people were injured. 

 

 Eda AKTAŞ 

Muğla 

In the early hours of the morning, coal mining company teams came to the Akbelen Forest in Milas district of Muğla, one of the Aegean provinces of Turkey, to cut down the trees for the mine to be opened by Yeniköy-Kemerköy Energy, a joint affiliate of IC Holding and Limak Holding, which is known to have close ties with the Turkish government. 

Dozens of soldiers and water cannons (known as TOMAs) were sent to the area against the villagers who have been resisting the cutting of their forests in tents in the forest for more than 2 years. The villagers, who were trying to protect their living space, called on everyone to support them. 

The gendarmerie removed the villagers from the forest area and set up a barricade, and used pepper spray against the villagers and habitat defenders who tried to break through the barricade and prevent the cutting. Lawyer İsmail Hakkı Atal and İkizköy Environment Committee Member Hasan Yorulmaz were detained. 4 people were injured during the gendarmerie intervention. One of the injured was hospitalised. 

Reminding that thousands of acres of forest land were destroyed by fires last year, forest fires continue this year and the number of forests destroyed is increasing day by day, the villagers stated that the state should protect the forests, not Limak. 

"OUR FOREST IS BEING DESTROYED, HELP US" 

In Akbelen Forest, where tree felling has started, İkizköy villagers and habitat defenders said that they are against the destruction of their forests and habitats by the state. The villagers complained about the silence of the local government against the problems and said, "Our forest is being destroyed, help us. Our trees should not be cut down," they said, trying to make their voices heard. 

"WE ARE IN SORROW" 

Berrin, 84, from İkizköy, said: "We are on a day when despair is sitting in our hearts. Everything is over now, our olives, our land, our nature, everything. Some things can't be said, it's important to live through it, I can't convey this pain. More than 500 gendarmes came and tried to suppress us in the shade of the pine trees. If you are cutting down trees, don't wait in the shade. We are in sorrow," he said. 

Melahat, one of the villagers, said, "We were resisting here. They came with gendarmes and police and started to cut down our trees. Please save our pines. If this place goes, everywhere will burn, Turkey will burn. Let's not cut down our pines and forests." 

"IF A DRY BRANCH OF THE PINES FALLS, IT WILL HURT ME" 

"I came here as a bride, my memories, my life was spent here," said 85-year-old Sultan from İkizköy: 

"Without forests, not a drop of rain would fall, there would be drought, crops would not grow, people would go hungry. Without forests, where will we find water? If a dry branch of the pines falls, it hurts me. They should not cut down our forest." 

Aytaç, one of the villagers, said, "We have been defending this place for years. This morning the cutters came to the forest again. We are doing our best but we ask for help. We want to give our air, water and soil. I came here from a village that was destroyed for coal before, and now they are kicking me out from here too. Aren't we the people of this country? Soldiers are preventing us, help us," he said and invited all people, especially the people of Muğla, to protect the Akbelen Forest. 

VILLAGERS WILL FILE A CRIMINAL COMPLAINT 

Lawyer İsmail Hakkı Atal said, "A constitutional offence is being committed here. Article 169 of the Constitution is being violated. Article 169 says that state forests cannot be reduced in any way, today, when the state reduces its forests, when it cuts them down, when there are forest fires all over Turkey, instead of assigning foresters to extinguish the fires, it assigns them to cut down the forests. This can only be done deliberately to destroy the country and the future of the people. There cannot be such an eclipse of reason. Behind Akbelen Forest, there is a 2 thousand period coal licence area, there is 88 thousand decares of agricultural land, and the gang of 5 wants to destroy the agricultural land. Currently, Muğla Administrative Courts and Muğla prosecutors are using the law against the gang of 5. Despite the clear provision of Article 10 of the Constitution, which states that no privilege can be granted to any group or class, here, a privilege is granted to a group, a class, Limak, a gang of 5," he said and expressed his reaction. 

Stating that tomorrow they will file a complaint to the prosecutor's office against the boss of Limak and İçtaş for the crime of attempting to disrupt the indivisible integrity of the State with its country and nation in Article 3 of the Constitution, Atal said, "We will file a complaint against them for destroying our forests, destroying our water, trying to destroy the future of this country because they want to destroy 88 thousand periods of agricultural land in the era of climate crisis and food crisis." 

IZMIR BAR ASSOCIATION WE ARE ON THE SIDE OF NATURE AND FORESTS, NOT PROFIT GREED 

Izmir Bar Association issued a written statement reacting to the tree felling in Akbelen Forest that started at dawn. "It is unacceptable for the state, which has the primary duty to protect forests, to use all the means of the public to destroy one of the last forests of Muğla," the statement said. 

The statement reminded that the Izmir Bar Association stands by the people of İkizköy who defend Akbelen Forests, forests, villages and their right to life, which have been home to all living and non-living natural beings for years, and added: "We once again share with the public that we are in favour of nature and life against the ravenous greed for profit, and we invite all authorities to fulfil their primary duties in accordance with the Constitution, to protect the rights of citizens to live in a healthy and balanced environment, to protect nature and forests." 

EMEP MUĞLA PROVINCIAL ORGANISATION: WE PROTECT AKBELEN AGAINST LOOTING 

Labour Party (EMEP) Muğla Provincial Organisation reacted against the cutting down of Akbelen Forest in the morning hours accompanied by gendarmerie and said: "We call on everyone to protect Akbelen Forest, the demands of the people and the interests of the people against this plunder." 

Reminding that citizens have been struggling for two years to protect the Akbelen Forest against the expansion of the coal mining area in İkizköy, the statement said, "The state stands on the side of rentier coal and mining companies against the people of İkizköy who have resisted for 2 years to protect their trees, olives and forests. Let us give a voice to those who struggle against this capitalist order that has made it a rule to grow by exploiting labour and nature. Gendarmerie forces and TOMAs should be withdrawn and this unlawfulness should be ended immediately." 

The demand of the people of İkizköy; "Where is the state? Stop this lawlessness immediately. We will not give up our village" should be accepted as soon as possible, the statement said, "We call on everyone to protect Akbelen Forest, the demands of the people and the interests of the people against this plunder. #AkbeleneDokunma". 

117 THOUSAND SIGNATURES DELIVERED TO THE MINISTRY 

Friends of İkizköy Initiative organised a press statement in front of the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry against the tree cutting in Akbelen Forest. The statement was supported by habitat defenders as well as CHP and Green Left Party MPs. While carrying banners reading "Don't touch Akbelen" and "We will not give Akbelen forest", Deniz Gümüşel spoke on behalf of the initiative. Gümüşel said that the Akbelen Forest is being completely destroyed for coal and that they will not allow the destruction of forests. 

Stating that they gathered to convey the demands of İkizköy residents to the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, Gümüşel said that 117 thousand signatures were collected against the opening of the mine in Akbelen Forest and that they will present the collected signatures to the ministry. "We demand the cancellation of the allocation of Akbelen Forest to the coal mine, which was personally signed by the previous Minister of Agriculture and Forestry," Gümüşel said. (EVRENSEL DAILY) 

 

Source:    www.evrensel.net/ 

  

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