'The headman is abusing his authority'

The proposed cement factory project, located on the border of the Bayır neighborhood of Muğla 's Menteşe district and the Deştin neighborhood of Yatağan, has once again been brought to the forefront by the controversial actions of village headman Nail Karaman. Locals claim the headman is dividing the community by hiring some village residents and may have a vested interest in the project.

Muğla Cement Industry Inc. has applied to the Ministry of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change for the third time to build an integrated cement factory in the middle of forest and agricultural land. The Ministry issued a positive environmental impact assessment (EIA) decision on July 3rd. Local residents and activists filed a lawsuit challenging the decision. Villagers opposing the project stated that the company was attempting to divide the community by hiring certain citizens. It was alleged that the village headman's son and relatives were among those hired, and that these names were chosen by the village headman and some village officials. Villagers expressed suspicion that village headman Nail Karaman may have a vested interest in the project.

The village headman reportedly responded to criticism with shouts at meetings and failed to provide convincing explanations to the public. Villagers stated that they were unable to file a lawsuit within the timeframe because the 2014 positive EIA decision was not publicly announced. Furthermore, residents claimed that thousands of trees were cut down before the project even began. The villagers stated that the headman failed to protect his village and the irrigation cooperative and failed to engage in legal and practical struggles, and demanded that Nail Karaman resign from his position.