Villagers on Hunger Strike Until Mining Law Proposal Is Withdrawn!

Villagers have gone on hunger strike against the proposed mining law, known publicly as the "super permit law," which threatens forests, protected areas, pastures, olive groves, agricultural lands, and water resources. The villagers, who have been holding vigil in Cemal Süreya Park in Ankara since July 3, announced that they will not back down from their vigil and hunger strike until the proposed mining law is withdrawn.

The İkizköy Environmental Committee said in a statement on its social media account, “We have made our final statement in front of the Dikmen gates to the parliament that has not heard our voices for weeks, to the deputies who have passed laws for the companies, and to all the villagers and citizens who have stood by us: WE ARE ON A HUNGER STRIKE until the mining law is withdrawn!”

The "We Will Not Give Up Our Land" Campaign held a protest today in front of the Dikmen Gate of the Turkish Grand National Assembly. The protest was supported by 64 local and national institutions and democratic mass organizations.

The demonstration, which featured slogans like "Don't touch my air, my water, my land," and gathering behind a common banner reading "We Will Not Give Up Our Land," greeted each city represented by those who had come to Ankara from across Türkiye. Following the press release, Esra Işık, Ayişe Günay, and Nejla Işık, residents of İkizköy, marched in front of the Dikmen gate of the Turkish Grand National Assembly (TBMM), declaring that the villagers' voices were not being heard and that they were therefore launching a hunger strike.