We will see beautiful days, coal-free and sunny days

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Although coal-fired power plants, which are certified as harmful to health, economy and climate, are closed all over the world, Turkey is pursuing the dream of building new ones.

France (2022), Italy (2023), Germany (2038), United Kingdom (2024), Greece (2028), Hungary (2030), Slovakia (2030), Netherlands (2030), Italy (2025), and Denmark (2030) announced that they will shut down coal-fired power plants.

However, in Turkey, even the power plants that do not make the necessary environmental investments are not closed down. Moreover, there are more than 30 new projects planned.

An essential pillar of the fight against the climate crisis

The good news in this pessimistic scenario is that only 13 percent of the planned coal-fired power plant projects in Turkey were licensed. 21 projects in 2020 and five projects in 2021 were either canceled or they are on ice. The biggest reason behind this situation is the successful struggles against the power plants.

The energy sector is responsible for the majority of Turkey's emissions in 2019, and the share of coal-fired plants is 75 percent. In other words, the struggle against the power plant is an essential pillar of the fight against the climate crisis.

So, what lies behind successful struggles? Although the regions have their dynamics, the long-term struggles against thermal power plants in Kırklareli, Eskişehir, and Amasra offer various answers to this question.

Bartın: 16 years of struggle

It is possible to show 2005, when Hattat Holding leased a field in Amasra to extract hard coal, as the beginning of the struggle against the thermal power plant in Bartın.

Although the company said that it only wanted to open a coal mine at that time, the desire to open a power plant came to light in a short time. In 16 years, about 18 lawsuits were filed against the power plant project.

The company has continuously submitted new Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) applications and tried to implement the project. Finally, the construction plan changes to prepare the ground for the power plant were canceled by the Council of State. This verdict prevented the company from pursuing a new application.

In his statement to bianet, Erdoğan Atmış, member of the Bartın Platform Executive Board, stated that the success of the movement was due to the legal struggle and the determination of people of the region.

Ninety-nine percent of Bartın was against the project

Using the expressions "99 percent of the people of Bartın were against the power plant", Atmış said that they came together under the roof of the Bartın Platform in 2010.

Stating that there was no active environmental association at that time, he said: "We created a platform that includes women's organizations, municipal representatives, professional chambers, and unions. This platform needed to represent Bartın."

As Bartın Platform, they visited the villages that are going to be affected by the power plant one by one. "We held meetings in coffee houses and informed the local people about the damages of the thermal power plant," he said.

'There was no anti-government discourse'

Stating that there are quite a lot of AKP voters in Bartın, "For this reason, we did not create an anti-government discourse in our meetings," Atmış said.

He said that they did not even use a language that would directly confront Hattat Holding in the first days and based their argument only on the damages of the power plant.

He explained: "The coal mines were the bread and butter for many people here. The company said it would open a coal mine there to attract the villagers. It also employed 700 people. As such, we criticized the power plant, not the company. 'They can take out the coal, but there should be no power plant,' we said. 'Let them use coal differently'."

'We stood by the workers'

After saying that the company did not extract even a ton of coal from Bartın, he said: "After a while, many workers were unemployed. We stood by the workers who could not get their rights. We carried out actions together with the mining trade union."

Erdoğan Atmış said they changed their rhetoric after it was revealed that the coal mine argument was to distract the public. "Then, we started to call out to Hattat Holding 'Pack bag and baggage and leave Bartın'. "

Smear campaigns of the company

When the struggle against the power plant grew, the company started campaigns to denigrate those who struggled. According to Atmış, Hattat Holding accused them of not being from Bartın and coming from outside.

"However, the thing about this movement was that it was local. Objections came from the residents. We exchanged information with other environmental movements, but we even opened cases on our own," Atmış told.

New lawsuits filed with the money of the previous

In 2016, an annulment lawsuit was filed by 2019 people, a record application against the EIA decision of the power plant.

Stating that they collected the necessary money to open big lawsuits, "After a while, we got back the money we paid for the lawsuits we won. So, we were able to use this money to open new cases," he said.

The lawyers of the cases were from Bartın Platform, too. "Engin Uzun and Berkay Dal from the platform undertook the attorneyship of the cases. Yakup Okumuşoğlu, Uygar Cömert Erdem and Hülya Yıldırım also shared their views and experiences with us," he told.

Erdoğan Atmış said the mass protests were strong in the first 5-6 years of the struggle. "After that, the struggle continued legally."

Solidarity with environmental movements

Stating that they maintained communication with other environmental organizations and movements throughout the whole process, Atmış said: "For example, we went to Çatalağzı. The people there showed us around. The people who struggled there also came here and told how the power plant turned their lives into hell."

Explaining that they are also giving speeches in other places, "We are telling them what we had gone through to support other movements," he said.

Kırklareli power plant became history

Deba Madencilik Ticaret ve Sanayi applied for an EIA in April 2018 for the Eren-1 Thermal Power Plant, planned to be built in Kırklareli.

The coal-fired power plant project, intended to be built near the city center of Kırklareli and right at the foot of the Kırklareli Plain, which is under protection under the Büyükova Conservation Plan, was canceled by the Ministry of Environment and Urbanization on September 21, 2020.

Thus, the project planned on an area consisting of fertile agricultural lands between the villages of Dokuzhöyük and Ulukonak, became history.

The people of the region quickly get organized

Greenpeace Mediterranean Climate and Energy Project Manager Onur Akgül said that behind the movement's success, there are two crucial things: the people of the region who quickly organized and the awareness of the value of natural assets.

Akgül said that the people in the villages and towns started to organize when the project was announced. He told meetings were held with non-governmental organizations about the effects of the project.

"Some of these meetings were big enough to fill indoor gymnasiums. A mobilization has been launched in the region," he said. In these meetings, the roadmap to be followed against the project was determined by joint decisions.

Objections of the citizens

Akgül stated that the main arguments for canceling the project were the citizens' objections and the effect of the power plant on agricultural lands. "A big appeal petition organization had started," he said.

He noted that the well-organized people did not allow the Public Participation Meeting held within the scope of the EIA process. "Thus, the EIA process was interrupted, and the message that the project was not wanted was conveyed to the general public. The movement left the first round with a victory and high morale."

First-grade agricultural land

The professional chambers supported the arguments by revealing the harms of the project with scientific data, Akgül said. "We, as Greenpeace Akdeniz, have prepared a report that reveals the air pollution impact of the project and the deaths it will cause. In addition, in cooperation with Namık Kemal University, we had soil samples analyzed from the project area and proved that the site is first class agricultural soil."

"A similar production is carried out in all the villages in the impact area of the project. Although Thrace constitutes 2.45% of Turkey, it covers 45% of sunflower production, 48% of paddy production, 11% wheat production, and approximately 2% barley production. The project would have a serious impact on this agricultural asset."

Persuasion tours of the politicians

Akgül commented that it is of great importance to ensure the sustainability of agriculture in the Thrace Region. "The most important factor that brought victory was the defense of this social existence with social opposition," he said.

Political organizations supporting the project held meetings to persuade the public to the project. In addition, Akgül stated that the discourses that discredit the non-governmental organizations that support the movement were produced. "The people of Thrace opened the struggle with a high hand. So, they were not affected," he told.

Women played a key role

"What led the Kırklareli thermal power plant struggle to victory was that the people of the region followed the whole process very closely, saw the problem and the danger, organized by showing a quick reflex, and received the support of citizen organizations and non-governmental organizations that are highly experienced in nature advocacy in the nearby regions," Akgül told.

Noting that village headmen and village women also play a role, "Women are at the center of the story and the will of resistance in almost all struggles won in any locality in Turkey. It was the case in Kırklareli, too. The image of the women waiting for the delegation with pots and pans in front of the wedding hall, where the EIA meeting will be held, is still before my eyes," he said.

Exemplary struggle in Eskişehir Alpu Plain

The long-term struggle against the thermal power plant to be built on the fertile agricultural land of Eskişehir, Alpu Plain, resulted in gains.

The Council of State Council of Administrative Litigation Divisions has annulled the decision regarding the privatization of coal reserve areas to construct thermal power plants in the region.

In May 2020, the Council of State ruled against privatizing the Büyük Plain Conservation Area in the Eskişehir Alpu Plain.

Eskişehir City Council President Nuray Akçasoy said: "The strongest aspects of the struggle were the support of local governments. It has achieved success by the civil society who stood side-by-side and the support of the people of Eskişehir."

Powerful legal struggle

Akçasoy stated that Eşkişehir, Tepebaşı and Odunpazarı municipalities made great efforts throughout the process. "The legal units of the municipalities and chambers came together and prepared a strong case. They looked at what was missing in previous cases. The experience was very crucial," she said.

"Every written thing should be read very well. This is an important detail. The EIA report and its deficiencies should be evaluated. From the day the report is presented, the struggle begins."

Stating that the unity of civil society, professional chambers, bar associations, and environmental associations is also vital, Akçasoy said: "When everyone talks from their association, it doesn't mean anything, but togetherness brings the struggle to success."

Meetings in the villages

Noting that many meetings were held to inform the local people about the damages of the power plant, "They gave employment assurance to the people. It was also said that they would get a high expropriation price if they sold lands. They were asking why we are hindering the investment," she said.

Akçasoy stated that there was difficulty in convincing the citizens while these arguments existed: "We explained how the project is going to affect agriculture, how long the employment will last, and its effects on health."

Power plant trips

Throughout this process, the company was also conducting a persuasion campaign with the headmen to persuade the public. Akçasoy said that the people were taken to a thermal power plant in Çanakkale: "They showed the roses and trees in the garden by walking the two corridors at the power plant. So that people think it is not harmful to the environment."

Akçasoy stated that they had to do the opposite: "We took them to visit the villages and shopkeepers in Çanakkale that were affected by the power plant. We listened to the people in Çatalağazı saying, 'Escape from here, this is a cancer nest'. We have shown what will be lost."

Stating that at the end of all these meetings and trips, the people started to fight against the thermal power plant, "The local press also worked hard for us. A large part of the press talked about the damage of the power plant for weeks," she said.

Inspiration for other struggles

Akçasoy mentioned that the power plant project is on ice now with the will of the people: "This exemplary struggle enabled us to stand together against other mining projects and ecological destructions in Eskişehir."

Right now, another project threatening the Alpu Plain: Anadolu University wants to lay train tracks for the URAYSİM test area. "We will also fight against this project with the confidence and experience of the previous struggle," Akçasoy said.

 (EÜ/SO/PT/VK)

"As The Climate and World Change" article series*

Our life becomes history while we live! - Ömer Madra

1/ A country outside of the global climate policy: Turkey - Ebru Voyvoda

2/ Climate change, securitarian policies and ghosts  - Özdeş Özbay

3/ Turkey's energy policy: Indigenous at home, Blue Homeland in the world - Emre İşeri

4/ The impact of climate crisis and fossil fuels on child health - Çiğdem Çağlayan & Funda Gacal

5/ We will see beautiful days, coal-free and sunny days-Elif Ünal

6 / Either capitalism or the future - Tuna Emren

7 / The three pillars of climate journalism: Science, politics, and social justice - Ece Baykal Fide

8 / Bringing science, struggle, and art together - Yasemin Ülgen

9 / Clean energy or betrayal? - Serkan Ocak

10 / It is time to say stop economic growth - Fikret Adaman & Gökçe Yeniev

11 / When climate refugees knock on our door - Mehmet Mücteba Göktaş

12 / How is a climate-resilient agri-food system possible?- Fikret Adaman, Duygu Avcı, Umut Kocagöz, Gökçe Yeniev

13 / Climate crisis affects women, women affect climate struggle - Merve Özçelik

14 / Climate fiction in literature- Buket Uzuner

15/ Dr. Faustus and children in the age of fire- Ömer Madra

* This series of articles is published with the financial support of Oslo Metropolitan University (OsloMet) Journalism & Media International Center.