Hatay, devastated by the February 2023 earthquakes, is being transformed into a massive construction site as a new city emerges. The construction boom is not limited to new housing projects; nearly every neighborhood now hosts concrete batching plants. In some cases, container settlements have been placed directly opposite these plants.
Authorities justify the proliferation of these plants, citing the concrete demands of mass housing projects, private companies, and the new city’s construction. While Hatay residents and environmental organizations do not dispute the need for concrete, they point out that regulations prohibit concrete plants from being established near residential areas, water sources, or agricultural lands. In Hatay, however, these facilities are being built in the middle of neighborhoods and close to water sources, often because it is cheaper. Some even operate without proper permits.
‘Regulations are being ignored’
Nilgün Karasu, head of the Antakya Environmental Protection Association (AÇKD), highlighted the rapid increase in concrete plants in neighborhoods, next to container settlements, and near schools. She attributed the surge to the suspension of Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) reports and amendments to regulations.
Noting that people apply to the association daily with hope and ask for support, Karasu said, “We investigate every complaint on the spot and submit it to the necessary authorities. We received very few responses from the authorities, always round answers. The concrete plant has a regulation. When it is built in accordance with this regulation, this activity will continue with less damage.”
‘We can't cultivate, we buy everything’
Kuruyer, a neighborhood in Antakya district but geographically closer to Altınözü, exemplifies the challenges. The area now hosts 11 stone quarries, nine concrete plants, and sites for debris and waste dumping. The community, which relies on olive farming, agriculture, and livestock, has seen 800 hectares of pastureland taken over by stone quarries.
During a public statement in Kuruyer, attended by the association, neighborhood head Yusuf Çoban described the dire consequences for the neighborhood: "Before the earthquake, 2,000 sheep and goats were kept in the neighborhood, now it has fallen to 200. A concrete plant was built in our pasture areas. There used to be 60 businesses related to animal husbandry in my neighborhood, now there are about 20. They all closed their businesses and sold their animals. There is dust everywhere. The trees are sick. We are in a rural area, we cannot plant anything. We have a garden to cultivate, but we buy everything. The car brings sand and pours it. The dust goes all the way down to the neighborhood.”
‘Only two green spaces are left in the city’
The proliferation of concrete plants is not only affecting agriculture and water resources but also undermining the city’s recovery and its historical landmarks. Antakya Park, located at the junction of Defne and Antakya districts, is the city’s oldest park and one of its few remaining green spaces.
Once a gathering place with tea gardens, playgrounds, and walking paths, Antakya Park became the only usable green space in the city center after the earthquake. However, the installation of a concrete batching plant near the park’s entrance has made it largely inaccessible to residents.
Hatay’s residents, already struggling to rebuild their lives, now face additional challenges from environmental and community disruptions caused by unregulated construction practices.
Eda Dinçmen, who often visited Antakya Park for coffee and socializing before the earthquakes, lamented the current state of the city’s green spaces.
“Today there is no green area left in Antakya where we can take our children,” she said. “When you look down from the top of the mountain of Habip- i Neccar facilities, you see two green areas: Antakya Asri cemetery and Antakya park. Everything else is like a desert. A city that has been destroyed under the ground. They are destroying the area where we will come back to life and experience the true texture of green, nature and trees for a concrete plant.”
Resistance in Samandağ
In the Samandağ district, local residents and environmental groups have been protesting against a concrete plant for months. Despite being designated as a residential area in the zoning plan, the plant was approved without an environmental impact assessment report and built near homes, markets, wetlands, olive groves, and agricultural fields.
Although the Samandağ Municipality sealed off the construction site, the plant continues to operate. Protesters have taken legal action, filing a case to shut it down.
Legal proceedings
On Nov 6, Hatay's 4th Administrative Court heard a case challenging the local environmental council’s approval of concrete batching plants, stone quarries, and mining activities across Hatay.
Lawyers and environmental advocates from Hatay and beyond emphasized that clean air, water, and a sustainable environment are as vital as housing. They argued that while the earthquake has increased the need for housing, the number of concrete plants in Hatay far exceeds this demand.
The lawyers warned that unchecked construction activities could lead to new environmental disasters within the next decade, citing statements from the World Health Organization.
After hearing both sides, the court has yet to issue a ruling. (BÖG/TY/VK)
This article was produced with financial support from the Journalism and International Media Center (OsloMet-JMIC) at Oslo Metropolitan University. The content of the article is solely the responsibility of IPS Communication Foundation/bianet and is not indicative of the views of OsloMet-JMIC in any way.