İkizköy villagers, life defenders on watch for Akbelen: ‘The court case is not yet over’

* Photo: Twitter account of "İkizköy İnsanca Yaşam için Direniyor" (İkizköy is resisting for a humane life)

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In two separate trials, the administrative courts have given decisions of stay of execution for Muğla's Akbelen forest, where the villagers and life defenders have been struggling against LİMAK Holding's efforts to expand a lignite mine for a thermal power plant.

Speaking to bianet about the current situation in the region in the wake of these two court decisions, İkizköy Environment Committee Spokesperson Esra Işık says, "It has made us so happy after all these efforts. But we are still on watch in the same place."

CLICK - Courts grant motions for stay of execution for Akbelen

"In fact, we heard the news not yesterday (August 12), but before midnight the other day. We were assessing what happened on that day. We first burst into tears, but this time with joy," says Işık, briefly adding:

"A decision of stay of execution has been given until the expert report is finalized. The thermal power plant may raise an objection depending on the report as they are also defendants.

"The result of our struggle is not yet final. It is not that we have won but the decision of stay of execution was an important step for us."

Noting that they will keep on being on watch for the forest until the court case is finalized, Işık adds, "After we read out our statement yesterday, we discussed what we would do from then on. Because it cannot end here, it should not. The court case is not yet over."

Concluding her remarks, Esra Işık says, "We do not think of ending the watch until the court case is finalized.

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.

The villagers' watch is still ongoing. (NÇ/DŞ/SD)