A Turkish court has accepted an indictment seeking up to six years in prison for environmental activist Esra Işık over a protest against a land survey linked to a coal mine expansion in Muğla province, the Bianet news website reported.
The indictment charges Işık with preventing public officials from carrying out their duties and insulting them. The Milas 3rd Criminal Court of First Instance has accepted the indictment and set the first hearing for April 27.
Işık was arrested on March 31 after protesting against the land survey, saying residents did not want their property rights affected while their case was pending before the Council of State.
The coal mine expansion, intended to supply a nearby thermal power plant, requires the removal of olive groves near Akbelen Forest.
Residents and activists have been protesting the project since 2019 and have filed a lawsuit pending before the Council of State, Turkey’s highest administrative court.
Her lawyer said the land survey was carried out without prior notice and that the officials arrived in a civilian vehicle, leading Işık to believe they were company representatives and protested them on that basis.
YK Energy, a joint venture between Limak Holding and IC Holding, is seeking to expand the coal mine to supply the nearby Yeniköy-Kemerköy thermal power plant. The expansion follows a 2025 legislative amendment that opened olive grove areas to mining and allowed companies to relocate trees during operations.
Although the law formally prohibits the cutting down of olive trees, critics say companies have continued operations under the guise of relocation, raising fears of permanent damage to the groves.
Local villagers say the amendment violates the constitution and have requested that the Council of State refer the case to the Constitutional Court while also seeking a suspension of the regulation.
