Peasants who protect their land are released

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All six villagers, including two women, who were detained while protesting the quarry that reopened despite a court order in Defne , Hatay , were released after giving their statements to the prosecutor's office.

Nilgün Karasu, President of the Antakya Environmental Protection Association (AÇKD), noted that the local population has long been negatively affected by noise and dust, saying, "Most of the people here are engaged in animal husbandry or olive farming. The project has affected people's livelihoods. Citizens have rightfully taken action."

Karasu, stating that the villagers were threatened by company officials, said: “Then the gendarmerie arrived and used brute force on the villagers. Their sole purpose is to protect their living spaces. The area where their homes are has become uninhabitable. They are practically telling people to leave the village. After the mine began operating, the cows began miscarrying frequently. An animal that normally produces 30 kilograms of milk a day has dropped to just 10 kilograms. Olives have drastically diminished, and people can't harvest their olive groves because of the dust that has accumulated. Children can't even play in the streets anymore because heavy-duty vehicles are constantly entering and exiting the streets. So, people were actually detained here while trying to protect their own living spaces.”

During the protest against the quarry in the Döver Neighborhood, the gendarmerie intervened with the villagers, and during the brawl that followed the threats from company officials, six people, including two women, were detained.