The resistance against the construction of the mine by Limak Holding and İÇTAŞ, a subsidiary of YK Enerji, in the Akbelen Forest in Muğla, Milas İkizköy has been going on for some time. On July 24, the company resumed cutting down the trees with the gendarmerie.
On July 26, independent journalist and documentarian Kazım Kızıl, who was filming during the intervention where the gendarmerie used disproportionate force, pressurised water and pepper gas, was sprayed directly into his eyes, point blank. Kızıl shared the images on his social media account:
Akbelen ormanında müdahale sürüyor. Kesimi engellemek isteyen yaşam savunucuları jandarmanın sert müdahalesi ile karşılaştı.
Benim de çekim yapmam engellenip doğrudan gözlerime biber gazı sıkıldı. Ormanı savunmak da fotoğraf-video çekmek de suç değildir! #AkbeleneDokunma pic.twitter.com/kGGlgxjmyW
— Ka (@kazimkizil) July 26, 2023
According to the news in Gazete Duvar, photographer Selahattin Kaya was released by the Criminal Judgeship of Peace after the prosecutor’s interrogation at the Milas Courthouse, citing his social media posts, with restrictions on not entering the Milas district border and travel bans abroad. On the same day, five people who wanted to enter Akbelen, including representatives of political parties and non-governmental organizations, were also detained.