Residents of the Turkish village of İkizköy have asked the leaders of COP31 to leave the climate conference halls in Antalya and see first-hand the consequences of coal mining near Akbelen Forest. The village is located in the southwestern province of Muğla, several hundred kilometres west of Antalya.
„They need to come here, these heads of state. They should come not to Antalya, but to Akbelen, to İkizköy,“ local representative Necla Işık told Reuters. Her home is several hundred metres from an open-pit lignite mine, which has moved closer to the settlement over the past decades.
COP31 begins on 9 November and will continue until 20 November. One of the main topics is increasing electrification, which host country Turkey is advocating. Environmentalists, however, warn that this policy will not limit emissions if electricity continues to be generated primarily from coal.
Coal remains the leading source of electricity
In 2025, coal provided 34% of Turkey’s electricity, according to data from energy analyst Ember. This makes the country Europe’s largest producer of coal-fired electricity.
The mines in the Akbelen area supply the Yeniköy and Kemerköy power plants. The two plants generate just over 2% of Turkey’s electricity. According to residents and environmentalists, the expansion of mining has led to the destruction of forests and poses a risk to olive groves, farmland and surrounding villages.
Lignite is a low-quality type of coal. Burning it releases more carbon emissions than higher-energy coal. At the same time, the government says coal mining provides jobs for thousands of people.
Protests have led to arrests and court cases
Residents of İkizköy have been protesting the mine’s expansion for years. Tensions around Akbelen Forest intensified in 2023, when new logging began. Protesters say law enforcement used water cannons and pepper spray to stop them from entering the forest.
Necla Işık’s daughter, Esra, spent 42 days in pre-trial detention following a protest against a planned expropriation of land for mining activities. In July, a court sentenced her to two years in prison for resisting public officials. The ruling is being appealed.
„This punishment was not given only to me. It was an attempt to punish everyone in this country who defends their rights, their land and their village,“ Esra Işık said.
Human Rights Watch reported in October that Turkish authorities had detained and prosecuted environmentalists who took part in protests against mining activities. The organisation cited cases involving the use of force, fines and criminal proceedings against residents, lawyers and journalists. Turkish authorities say police intervene when demonstrations are illegal or threaten public order.
Ankara promises a transition to cleaner energy
Turkish Energy Minister Alparslan Bayraktar said that the country was working towards a just transition to cleaner energy, but that the process was difficult because of the thousands of jobs in coal mining. According to him, nuclear energy is the most viable alternative, and Ankara aims to have 10 gigawatts of nuclear capacity by 2040.
For the residents of İkizköy, however, climate promises will remain incomplete if COP31 participants do not see the consequences of mining first-hand. „For 40 years, we have lived with the coal we breathe and the dirt from the coal,“ Necla Işık said.