Marta Sömek 

 

MUĞLA - After the gendarmerie attacked the vigil action that held against the quarry for mine in the Akbelen Forests the previous evening, the villagers continued their resistance yesterday and said: ‘’We are not giving the Akbelen Forest! We were dragged on the grounds, but we continue to resist.’’

 

The vigil against the Lignite Mine, which is intended to be established in the Akbelen Forests in Muğla's Milas district, by the villagers and life defenders since 17 July, was tried to be prevented by the gendarmerie teams on the grounds of the governor’s decision the previous evening. The Gendarmerie demanded the end of the vigil and the villagers to leave the area, citing the governor’s decision on the ‘’prohibition of entry into the forests’’. The villagers, who said that they would not leave the area, demanded that the decision be issued to them in writing. The villagers stated that the area where the vigil took place was private land and that they stayed on the land with the consent of the person, and stated that the ban decision did not cover them.

The gendarmerie battered the citizens who did not leave the forest and took out them from the forest. Many people were battered in the attack and dragged on the grounds. Protesting the attack with the slogans ‘’Human dignity will defeat torture’’ and ‘’We will not give Akbelen Forest’’, the villagers continued their sit-ins in front of the barriers set up by the gendarmerie yesterday. The women who were exposed to the attack and told their experiences and HDP Ankara MP Filiz Kerestecioğlu made evaluations to our agency.

 

‘We are here for not allow to cutting down of trees’

 

Seçil Şallı from Karacahisar Neighborhood, which used to be a village, stated that they came to support the demand for the protection of the forest and that they have been resisting since 17 July, said: ‘’There is a tennis court in ahead, they want to cut down all the trees in the forest for it. Our friends' houses are here, we are here for not allow to cutting down of trees.’’

 

‘We do not give the Akbelen Forest!’

 

Melahat Çulha from İkizköy, who said: ‘’We are resisting so that our forests do not go away, they took all our forests and olives because of coal, there is nothing left in the village,’’ and underlined that they will not give the Akbelen Forest. Melahat stated: ‘’We don't allow for cutting, we resist! They tried to get the villagers out of here, and when they did not up, they dragged them away. All of the women's arms are wounded. It is not our fault, our fault is nothing but protecting nature. They stub the pines, dig down of them, take the coal and leave.’’

 

‘We dragged on the grounds, but we continue to resist!’

 

Pointing out that their aim is not to allow the cutting of forests and to protect them, Güler Döşeme from İkizköy expressed that they have been resisting for 25 days and that they will protect their forests. Güler continued her words as follows: ‘’They will cut down our forests, we do not want coal, they want to cut down our forests and take the coal, we do not want our pine trees to be cut down. The establishment of constructions creates disease, coal turns black in front of our houses, it also affects agriculture, animal breeding and production. They intervened last night, they wanted to took us out from here, we didn't want to leave, they used violence, they dragged our friends, but we continue to resist here.’’

 

‘We have experienced very serious fires’

 

HDP Ankara MP Filiz Kerestecioğlu, showing solidarity with the resistance and said: ‘’We have experienced very serious fires, our hearts are all burnt.’’ Filiz stated: ‘’As a person who grew up in this region, we are trying our best to do whatever it takes to stop it, together with all our friends.’’ Filiz continued: ‘’What kind of carelessness? What kind of self-seeking? While all the trees are burned, the world's ecological system is out of balance and the situation will always be like this, we have to hug and fight to protect how many trees and forests we have. Taking this situation as an opportunity and mobilizing state officials for a company instead of protecting the tree, cutting trees, not allowing people to sit on privately owned land and trying to evacuate, as our young friend who shouted here last night said, ‘which conscience!’’