Milas village leaders and workers urge continued mining before 16 September hearing

What happened

Village heads from the Milas area and unionised energy workers travelled to Ankara before a 16 September hearing concerning an emergency expropriation decision. The case relates to selected properties in Akbelen and surrounding locations, and the groups used the visit to argue for mining and power generation to remain in operation.

Speaking outside the Presidency of the Council of State, Karacaağaç village head Dursun Uysal represented the Village Heads Advisory Board. Fatih Erçelik, chair of the TES-İŞ Yatağan branch, spoke for employees in the energy and mining sectors. Enerji Günlüğü reported that the representatives said the court process should be respected while the wider consequences of its decision should also be assessed.

Their request focused on possible effects for nearby settlements, workers, local businesses and households. Uysal said that village centres are not included within the expropriation area. He also linked any cessation of production to the prospect of younger residents seeking work in other cities and a resulting loss of population in villages.

Why it matters

The hearing concerns an energy-producing area with substantial local employment. Uysal said the delegation was representing roughly 15,000 people across 20 villages close to the power plants. The representatives’ position is that disruption to operations could affect the economies of those communities as well as individual families.

Erçelik said approximately 3,100 people work directly at the Yeniköy and Kemerköy mines and power stations. He said employees would be among the first groups affected if output ceased. The case therefore brings together questions of land acquisition, the future of mining and generation, and employment connected with the Milas facilities.

For sustainability and energy-sector observers, the immediate issue is not a confirmed operational change but the concerns raised by local representatives before the court considers the expropriation decision. Their statements set out the employment and community factors they want considered alongside the legal case.

What's next

The hearing on the emergency expropriation decision is scheduled for 16 September. The representatives have asked that the ruling’s potential effects on villages, jobs, businesses and families form part of the consideration.