‘Pit of hell’: Turkish mother and daughter lead fight against coal mine
For nearly a decade, Isik and her daughter have thrown themselves into protesting against mining projects slowly ravaging Mugla province in Turkey.
In a southwestern Turkish village, Nejla Isik and her daughter Esra are leading a battle against a coal mine that is devouring the surrounding landscape. The Isiks dub the site "the pit of hell." Despite Turkey hosting the COP31 United Nations climate summit, Isik and Esra are unable to attend due to ongoing protests against the YK Enerji mining project.
The couple has been fighting against YK Enerji for nearly a decade, as the company seeks to expand its lignite mine and thermal power plants. Esra was recently arrested while protesting an emergency expropriation decision affecting six villages, spending 42 days in jail. The family has been displaced for multiple generations and their land has been plundered.
Aytac Yakar, another protester, was forced to flee her home village when it was swallowed up by a mine in 2018. She refuses to abandon her current home, threatening drastic measures if necessary. Turkey has recently expanded mining permits, including protected areas, and the Energy Minister maintains that the government is protecting investments and addressing potential losses.
However, not all villagers oppose the mine, as some workers rely on the thermal power plant for employment. YK Enerji, owned by Limak Holding and IC Holding, supports Turkey's carbon neutrality target and claims that trees will be replaced with suitable species, preserving "village centers, mosques, schools and graves."
Written by urgent.news from Japan Times's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
