Turkey and Kurdistan have seen a rapid acceleration of energy, mining, and infrastructure projects in recent years, implemented under the slogans of “development” and “energy independence,” while the ecological destruction caused by these projects has become increasingly visible.
Melis Tantan, co-spokesperson of the Ecology Commission of the Peoples’ Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party) and an ecology activist, warned that the plunder of nature that deepened in 2025 will intensify further in 2026, stressing that Kurdistan is facing a multifaceted process of ecological devastation.
Tantan said mining, oil, and drilling activities have increased sharply over the past two years, adding that underground resources are being carved up piece by piece across a vast geography stretching from the rural areas of Sur to Sirnak (Şırnex), Batman (Êlih), Siirt (Sêrt), and Hakkari (Colemêrg). She noted that throughout 2025, energy, mining, and infrastructure policies implemented in Turkey and Kurdistan caused severe destruction to air, water, and soil, and warned that 2026 will be a year marked by the intensification of both ecological plunder and social struggle.
Akkuyu, Gabar and the Black Sea are presented as a “vision”
Melis Tantan recalled that the steps taken by the Ministry of Energy throughout 2025 were heavily praised by the state, drawing attention to the way the projects in Akkuyu Nuclear Power Plant, Gabar, and the Black Sea are marketed under the discourse of “development.” She said the nuclear power plant in Akkuyu, the oil extracted in Gabar, and the natural gas produced in the Black Sea are presented as a “development drive” and a path toward “ending foreign dependence in energy,” adding that these three projects are portrayed as major vision projects and appear set to continue dominating the agenda in 2026.
Tantan said the reality on the ground tells a very different story and argued that the rhetoric of “development” must be questioned.
Tantan said: “The oil extracted in Gabar is depleting the region’s underground water resources. Oil is flowing from people’s taps. Despite this, the process is still described as ‘development.’ This means further impoverishment of the people, the destruction of nature, and the elimination of livable lands. The real question we must ask is this: development for whom?”
Nuclear means dependence and ecological destruction
Melis Tantan also shared her criticism of the Akkuyu Nuclear Power Plant, saying that presenting nuclear energy as a clean source does not reflect reality.
Tantan said: “We now know that nuclear energy is not clean energy. The plant to be built in Akkuyu will be operated by Russia, which will create serious international dependence for Turkey. At the same time, by heating the waters of the Mediterranean, it will have major impacts on the climate and create a vast zone of ecological destruction in Mersin.”
Tantan noted that while nuclear power plants are being shut down in many countries around the world, Turkey’s insistence on pursuing nuclear energy is striking, and stressed that natural gas has also become a tool of conflict between states.
Kurdistan is the geography where ecological plunder is most intense
Melis Tantan stated that the ecological destruction unfolding in Kurdistan is not accidental but the result of a systematic policy.
She said: “Kurdistan is today the geography where ecological plunder is most intense in Turkey. Air pollution, the contamination of water, mining, dams, and energy projects are implemented here far more easily and with little oversight. The reason is not only economic preferences; it is also the fact that Kurdistan is treated as a space for administration and security. This means turning the region from a living space into a so-called ‘resource basin.’”
Security policies have turned into the ground for ecological destruction
Tantan said ecological destruction cannot be separated from military and security policies. She said: “Dams, mines, quarries, and energy projects were for many years legitimized on the grounds of ‘security.’ Today, these justifications have turned into a framework that opens the way for capital. In Kurdistan, nature is being destroyed alongside security policies. This process also brings village evacuations, forced displacement, and dispossession.”
Land is seized under the name of renewable energy
Melis Tantan drew attention to the rapid spread of large-scale solar power plants in recent years under the banner of “renewable energy,” saying this process also involves serious problems. Tantan said: “Massive solar power plants are being built, particularly around Urfa (Riha). However, these investments often move forward through land seizures. Small producers and farmers are being torn away from their land. Pastures and agricultural fields are being turned into energy storage areas for large companies.”
Air, water, and soil pollution are deepening
Tantan said air pollution reached extremely high levels in Kurdistan in 2025, citing Igdir (Îdir), Hakkari, and Sirnak as examples. Tantan also said: “It is no coincidence that these cities rank among the worst for air pollution. Coal use, thermal power plants, mining, stone and sand quarries, and deforestation are deliberate drivers of this pollution.”
Tantan also underlined that mining is destroying water resources, recalling that a severe water crisis is unfolding in the basins of the Tigris River and the Euphrates River.
2026 will be the year of struggle for water and wetlands
Melis Tantan also drew attention to fires in the wetlands around Lake Van (Wan), warning that ecosystem loss is accelerating. She said: “The wetlands around Lake Van are habitats for birds and many living beings. Their destruction threatens not only today but also the future. 2026 will be a vital year for the protection of water and wetlands.”
Nature cannot be defended without peace
Tantan ended her remarks by emphasizing peace, saying that the ecological struggle in Kurdistan is also a struggle for peace. She also said: “War is the greatest ecological destruction. Nature cannot be defended where there is no peace. The salvation of nature is possible through peace. From Hasandin Plateau to Akbelen, from Samandag to the Artvin Highlands, resistance continues. We call for strengthening the struggle so that 2026 becomes a year in which we build both peace and the freedom of nature together across Turkey and Kurdistan.”