By Cem TAYLAN Ozan KOSE ,
1 hours ago
A coal mine near the Ikizdere district in Milas, Turkey /AFP
Near her village in southwestern Turkey, Nejla Isik walks through what remains of the devastated Akbelen forest, pausing to stare down at the coal mine that is devouring the hillside.
"We call it the pit of hell," muses the 48-year-old activist and local leader of Ikizkoy village, which has 70 homes.
When COP31 begins Monday in Antalya, summit host Turkey is hoping to show off its best side with a campaign focused on renewable energies and electrification.
But those who want to draw attention to a different side of the story are not welcome.
For nearly a decade, Isik and her daughter Esra, 26, have thrown themselves into protesting against the mining projects slowly ravaging Mugla province, which lies several hundred kilometres west of Antalya.
For nearly a decade Necla Isik, mayor of Ikizkoy and an enviroment activist, has been protesting against mining projects slowly ravaging Turkey's Mugla province /AFP
Together they have been leading the fight against YK Enerji, which wants to expand its lignite mine and increase the production capacity of its two thermal power plants, which run ...