The trial into the killing of Reşit Kibar, a 55-year-old villager fatally shot while resisting deforestation in Turkey for a government-backed picnic area in the northeastern province of Artvin, was postponed on Friday to 30 May after outcry over inadequate courtroom conditions.
The first hearing in the case, which involves two defendants – one in custody – was scheduled to begin at the Artvin Courthouse. However, the court’s decision to hold the session in a 50-person capacity room led to protests from lawyers and attendees, forcing an adjournment to 30 May.
Kibar was shot dead on 3 September 2023 in the Cankurtaran (Çhala) region while protesting tree-felling for a tourism facility near his village. The shooter, Muhammet Ustabaş, allegedly tied to a state-backed construction firm, opened fire on unarmed villagers attempting to block logging equipment. Two others were wounded in the attack.
On the day of the hearing, dozens of activists, citizens, and political figures – including MPs and members from the opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP), pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Equality and Democracy (DEM) Party, Labour Party (EMEP) and Left Party – gathered in front of the courthouse to show solidarity with Kibar’s family.
Protesters were left outside the courtroom due to its limited capacity. Lawyers called for a larger venue, but the court rejected the request, citing technical limitations. As tensions rose, the defence requested a postponement, which the court approved.
Kibar had long been a vocal opponent of commercial projects threatening Artvin’s rich forestlands. Locals and rights groups say he was targeted for his role in mobilising resistance.
“We have been struggling for months to get a fair outcome,” said Uğur Karakuş, chair of the Artvin branch of People’s Houses (Halkevleri). “Even though it’s late, the first trial will take place today. Unfortunately, the courtroom is small, it only holds 50 people. We will be waiting here in support.”
Karakuş also thanked those who had travelled to Artvin to attend the hearing: “We thank everyone who came here today and did not leave us alone by supporting the environmental struggle.”
In a press statement outside the courthouse, demonstrators said: “We have been fighting for months so that a fair outcome is reached. Even though it is late, the first hearing will be held. Thank you for not leaving the family and Cankurtaran alone.”
The accused, Ustabaş, was awarded the tender for the contested “Recreation Area with Accommodation Project”. Witnesses allege he first fired warning shots before directly targeting villagers. Activists claim Ustabaş is connected to Yunus Merttürk, a political figure with close ties to former Labour Minister Faruk Çelik, who they say intervened to push the project forward despite court rulings against it.
Following the killing, Yapı-Soy Beton, the project’s developer, had announced its withdrawal amid public outrage, but residents remain sceptical of its sincerity. “They may step back for now, but we’ve seen these projects rebranded and returned before,” Neşe Karahan, head of the Yeşil Artvin Association, had warned.
Civil society groups, political parties and trade unions had organised mass marches in Kibar’s honour. In one protest, thousands marched in Hopa (Khopa), chanting: “Reşit Kibar is immortal”, and “Forests are not for profit”. The case has become a flashpoint in Turkey’s growing environmental justice movement. “We’re grieving, but we’re not giving up,” local resident Dursun Ali Koyuncu had said. “Our forests and our lives are not for sale.”
With the next hearing set for 30 May, Kibar’s family and supporters vow to continue their fight – in courtrooms and in the forests – demanding justice and lasting protection for the land he died defending.
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