Villagers in Muğla, a province that stretches along Turkey’s Aegean coast and who had already had to struggle against the thermal power plants built around their village for years, now face another danger of losing their forests as part of the construction of a lignite coal mine, Yeşi Gazete reports.
Two private energy companies started construction works to expand the area of a lignite coal mine which has been operating in Muğla’s İkizköy village.
As the construction works began, the villagers began to observe strange “marks” on the trees around the village. The villagers soon realised that trees were being marked for cutting down by the company workers.
İkizköy villagers have launched a campaign to save their nature against the destruction of the energy companies.
Hasan Yorulmaz, a resident in İkizköy village said, “These companies came here few years ago. They have been harming our nature ever since they got here. We are protesting against the cutting down of our trees. If the companies will not stop their destruction, we will not stop resisting.”
Deniz Gümüşel, a member of İkizköy Environment Committee shared the information that the coal mine has been operating in the village since 1979, but over the years the company has expanded the area of the mine.
“They have been enlarging the mine as they wish. They do not follow the proper procedures, they begin the constructions without any Environmental Impact Assessment reports,” Gümüşel said.