Turkey鈥檚 parliament on Saturday passed a controversial bill that opens certain agricultural lands, including olive groves, to mining activities, local media reported, despite widespread opposition.
The bill, part of a broader package proposed by president Recep Tayyip Erdogan鈥檚 ruling AKP party, sparked protests from opposition parties and environmental groups.
Farmers from across Turkey have gathered outside parliament over the past two weeks, urging the government to withdraw the draft, with some starting a hunger strike this week.
On Friday, Ali Mahir Basarir of the CHP accused parliament of acting like CEO of energy companies.
鈥楾he entire parliament has become CEO of five companies,鈥� he said.
鈥�(Farmers) are on hunger strike, therefore, we will continue to resist鈥� against the draft, he added.
In 2023, local villagers and environmental activists occupied Akbelen forest, inland from the well-known Aegean resort town of Bodrum, to defend it from an energy company that runs a nearby coal mine.
At the time, Erdogan dismissed protesters as 鈥榤arginals鈥�, saying new coal basins were needed for the country鈥檚 power plants as existing reserves were close to depletion.
Turkey ratified the Paris Climate agreement in 2021.
Activists say Turkey has enormous renewable energy potential and does not need to rely on coal to produce electricity.
