Villagers resist geothermal power plant project in İzmir’s Orhanlı

"Keep your hands off my water, soil" - "Leave us alone" - Don't leave us breathless" (Photos: Nature Association)

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The villagers of Orhanlı in İzmir's Seferihisar have been resisting a geothermal power plant planned to be constructed in their living space.

The Karen Kahramanmaraş Power Generation Inc. wanted to hold a "People's Participation Meeting" yesterday (July 27). Expressing their objections at the meeting, the villagers said that they are against the project, which will harm olive cultivation, their means of livelihood. 

"Enough is enough" - "We don't want geothermal in our village"

Having the meeting cancelled, the villagers said, "Orhanlı is not unclaimed", underlining that their legal struggle will continue.

Support by local administrators

İzmir Metropolitan Mayor Tunç Soyer and Seferihisar District Mayor İsmail Yetişkin were on the side of the Orhanlı villagers during the meeting; they expressed their support for the villagers' struggle for life.

Speaking about the issue, İzmir Mayor Tunç Soyer said:

Orhanlı is an extremely precious village of our İzmir, which lives by producing and comes to the fore with its natural beauties. Ancient methods of production suiting the climate crisis have been ongoing in the region for thousands of years without interruption.

Noting that "one of the highest quality olive oils of the world is also produced in Orhanlı with the olive trees endemic in the İzmir Peninsula", Soyer underlined that "the geothermal power works must not harm the Orhanlı village, which is full of natural and cultural beauties."

"I will follow up the process by being on the side of the rightful struggle waged by our Orhanlı village against geothermal," he added.

İzmir Metropolitan Mayor Tunç Soyer - "Orhanlı is not unclaimed!"

Seferihisar Mayor İsmail Yetişkin also said:

"I have been supporting the struggle waged by the Orhanlı village against the geothermal power plant from the very beginning; I have been following up the process. This distinguished village of our district provides the entire Turkey with food thanks to its organic agriculture.

Here, people are together to protect their future, the right to life of their children and their olive trees. I will keep on supporting this struggle by being on the side of Orhanlı villagers.

What is happening in Orhanlı?

The geothermal power plant project planned to be launched in Orhanlı foresees the construction of geothermal drilling wells and that of wind power plants and solar power plants as supplementary sources.

Orhanlı village, which is known for an olive species endemic in İzmir region, is covered in these olive trees and comes to the fore with its olives and olive cultivation. Organic agriculture, especially olive cultivation, and animal husbandry are done with environmentally friendly methods.

Subsisting mostly on olive cultivation, the people of the region have been resisting the geothermal power plant project and defending their living space as the project will harm the olive trees in the region.

"What is domestic and national is olive" - "Olive doesn't want hot water"

Company keeps working despite court ruling

99 villagers of Orhanlı previously filed a court case against the geothermal power plant project in their living space and the İzmir 3rd Administrative Court gave a ruling of stay of execution for the project.

Keeping on working unlawfully despite the court ruling, the Karen Kahramanmaraş Power Generation Inc. has unlawfully cut 21 olive trees of at least 2 hundred years in the region. (TP/SD)