What happened
İzmir’s 7th Administrative Court has ordered the suspension of zoning plans prepared by the Ministry of Environment, Urbanisation and Climate Change and a construction permit issued by Karaburun Municipality for a proposed solar power plant in Yaylaköy, in İzmir’s Karaburun district.
The project was proposed by Lodos Karaburun Elektrik Üretim A.Ş. The land is reported to hold close to 6,000 olive trees. The case was brought by Mustafa Şenbahar, who leased the formerly arid state-owned land in 2007 for olive cultivation, and by the headman’s office of Küçükbahçe neighbourhood, which represents village grazing land within the project area.
In its 24 September 2026 decision, the court suspended both the planning approvals and the permit based on them. It found that the arrangements did not comply with planning and conservation principles or the public interest, taking account of the special environmental protection status covering olive-growing land and other designated agricultural areas east of Yaylaköy.
Why it matters
The decision stops the legal effect of the approvals supporting the proposed installation. For renewable-energy developers in Türkiye, it underlines that planning permissions and construction permits may be challenged where project sites overlap with protected areas, olive groves or land retained for agricultural use.
Project sponsors and investors need to assess the land designation and conservation status of proposed sites alongside energy-development permissions. Municipal permits can also be affected if the underlying planning documents are suspended.
Background
According to a statement from Altıparmak Law Office, an earlier environmental impact assessment approval for the same project had been annulled. The statement also said criminal and compensation proceedings concerning alleged olive-tree cutting remain pending before Karaburun courts.
What's next
The ruling dates from 24 September 2026. The source does not state a final timetable for the planning case or the separate proceedings referred to by the law office.
