Energy company wants villagers to cut down their olive groves in İkizköy, Turkey

On the day when an expert examination was to be conducted in the Akbelen Forest in Muğla’s Milas as part of a lawsuit filed by the villagers of İkizköy against the allocation of the forest for mining activities, the Article 115 of the Mining Regulation was amended in early March 2022.

While the amendment was met with severe criticism as it was considered a step specifically targeting the area, the first move has been made.

A sentence added to the Article 115 of the related mining regulation, which has entered into force after being published in the Official Gazette on March 1, 2022, makes way for mining activities to meet the needs for electricity in areas registered as olive groves in title deeds.

Based on this amended regulation, the Yeniköy Kemerköy Power Generation and Trade Incorporation (YK Enerji) has taken action to cut down the trees in an area in Işıkdere in İkizköy’s central neighborhood, which was expropriated in 2017. The villagers of İkizköy have long been objecting to the cutting of trees by citing the Law on Olive Cultivation.

CLICK – Olive groves opened to mining activities ahead of expert examination in Akbelen Forest

Petition to the sub-governor’s office

Referring to the olive trees within the borders of İkizköy Neighborhood, the company officials have informed the İkizköy Neighborhood Head’s Office that “the people of İkizköy should cut or remove the olive trees in the previously expropriated areas; otherwise, the company will do so.”

The villagers, who are the former owners of the olive groves, have taken this notification to the İkizköy Nature Committee and said that they will never lay hands on the olive trees. The lawyers of İkizköy have prepared a petition to be submitted to the Milas Sub-Governor’s Office and requested that the cutting of olive trees in the related area not be permitted.

Sub-Governor: Your olives entrusted to the law

After attending the press statement held by the Milas City Council at the city center to say “Keep your hands off my olive”, the people of İkizköy went to the Milas Sub-Governor’s Office. The petitions against the cutting of trees signed by the İkizköy Kardok Association and over 100 villagers were submitted to Milas Sub-Governor Mustafa Ünver Böke in person.

Submitting the petitions, the villagers underlined that the amended regulation is against the Law on Olive Cultivation and said, “We entrust our olives to you, the Milas Sub-Governor, as the highest administrative chief of the district.” Receiving the petitions, Milas Sub-Governor Böke said, “Olive is our olive as well. Your olives are entrusted to the law.”

Making a brief press statement after submitting the petitions, the people of İkizköy underlined that the regulation is not above the law.

What happened?

The Akbelen Forest in Muğla’s Milas was cut down in order to provide the Yeniköy Kemerköy Thermal Power Plant operated by the LİMAK Holding with lignite. The villagers of İkizköy, where the forest is located, have been waging a struggle in the face of the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry permission to open a lignite mine in the 740-decare Akbelen Forest.

Villagers and environmentalists sued the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry and the General Directorate of Forestry by applying to the Muğla 1st Administrative Court. Receiving the defense of the administration, the court ruled for an expert examination in the forest.

Not waiting for the court ruling, the Directorate General of Forestry came to the forest with excavators on July 17 and started cutting trees. In response, the people of İkizköy filed a criminal complaint against the officials of the Directorate General for “misconduct in office.”

The cutting of trees stopped thanks to the struggle of the villagers who put up tents and started keeping watch at the entrance of the forest.

In the lawsuits filed against the cutting of trees in the Akbelen Forest in Muğla’s İkizköy in Milas, the administrative courts granted motions for stay of execution. The decision of “No Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) is necessary” was also canceled.

The people of İkizköy welcomed the decisions given by the Muğla 3rd Administrative Court and the Muğla 1st Administrative Court. While the former gave a decision of stay of execution for the EIA Exemption for the Integrated Facility, the latter halted the execution of the cutting of trees. The courts also requested the expert examination in the Akbelen forest. (TP/SD)