Expansion of Turkey's coal mines frustrates villagers and farmers

Othman Arslan kneels beneath a tree in the early morning, preparing a cup of tea, not far from a coal-fired power station that has caused pollution in his Turkish village on the Aegean Sea coast, triggering frustration among residents and farmers.

Upon returning from Mecca, where he performed Hajj with his wife, Othman Arslan spoke to AFP about the golden era that local agriculture enjoyed before a thermal power station was established in the village of Soma in western Turkey.

During that era, olive trees were in a better state, as Arslan affirms while waiting for his tea to steep, smoke from its boiling intertwining with the distant plumes rising from the station.

In addition to the environmental consequences, the Soma coal mine also witnessed Turkey's worst industrial disaster. In 2014, over 300 people died in a mine accident, which rendered this sector unpopular among the locals.

Similar to other power stations, Soma is experiencing a sharp decline in its coal resources and is seeking to expand into new areas, which adds to the resentment of the residents.

Last month, environmental activists and residents clashed with gendarmes in the province of Muğla (southwest) in protest against a factory's commencement of tree cutting in search of coal.

An AFP journalist explored areas surrounding five Turkish coal-fired power stations, where the high human cost associated with this highly polluting source is evident.

Olive trees in the town of Milas on the Aegean coast no longer yield as much, similar to tomato and bean seedlings in the Afşin plain. Respiratory problems have become a major cause of death in Yatağan.

In the town located in southeastern Turkey, a strong odor of methane gas emanates from the country's oldest power station, forming layers that cover trees and gardens and are visible to the naked eye.

Ökan Göktaş (44 years old) surveys his land as evening approaches. He narrates that his brother used to work in this power station like "many village sons in the surrounding areas" before retiring.

He explains, "Government assistance to the agricultural sector is almost nonexistent, and the residents had no choice but to work in the station."

Criticism of the government is growing, while President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, who was re-elected in May, affirmed that Turkey will achieve zero carbon emissions by 2053.

Turkey is the last of the G20 countries to ratify the Paris Agreement on climate, after the environment became a major issue following the devastating fires in 2021.

Aside from that, power stations continue to receive government licenses for expansion.

As such, the Yeniköy and Kemerköy power stations have engulfed lands that were previously cultivated with olive trees from Milas, which exports its products worldwide.

Villagers claim that Yeniköy purchases agricultural land at discounted prices, exploiting the despair of local landowners who believe they have no choice but to sell.

However, the station's management aspires for more and continues its quest to acquire agricultural lands and forests to meet its needs.

Over the past two years, power stations have almost entirely devoured the coastal areas, forcing some residents to migrate, while the livelihoods of others depend on working in these stations.

Nail (63 years old) reveals that the Karabiga power station on the Aegean Sea coast employs 600 people, including his son.

In the city of Afşin in the Kahramanmaraş province (southeastern Turkey), worker Yusuf (48 years old) contemplates from his house's balcony the mine where he works.

He says that farmers struggle to cultivate their lands due to mine pollution.

He expresses his belief that the mine does not use suitable air purifiers at night, prompting him and his brother to file a legal complaint that proved futile, as the appointed experts found no violations.


AFP