Environmentalists and citizens have won a major legal victory over plans to stop a limestone quarry, crushing and screening operation on the outskirts of Akbük.

The Akbük Nature and Life Association said the decision against the potential mining operation, on the borders between Milas and Kazıklı, was a significant achievement in protecting nature and habitats in and around Akbük.

The Association has filed a lawsuit against an “Environmental Impact Assessment Not Required” decision on the project.

Following a review by the Council of State, it was reported that the annulment decision issued by the Aydın 2nd Administrative Court was definitively upheld.

According to a statement from Akbük Nature and Life Association, DYM Yapı Limited Company intended to implement a “Stone Quarry and Crushing-Screening Plant” project in the region in 2025.

The association initiated legal proceedings on the grounds that the project could have negative impacts on the pine forests, olive groves, water resources, and wildlife in the region, and could threaten the right of the local population to live in a healthy environment.

The association filed a lawsuit in the Aydın 2nd Administrative Court seeking the annulment of the “Environmental Impact Assessment Not Required” decision issued for the project. The court’s decision to annul the ruling was considered a significant victory by environmentalists.

However, the project’s stakeholders appealed to the Council of State. After reviewing the case, the Council of State upheld the Aydın 2nd Administrative Court’s decision to annul the project.

The Akbük Nature and Life Association announced that the legal process has ended with the Council of State’s decision, effectively halting the project. The association stated that the decision was not merely a court ruling but also significant for the protection of natural areas in the region.

In a statement released by the association’s management, it was emphasized that protecting nature is not only a matter for today but also for future generations, stating, “This victory is not just a success achieved in courtrooms. This victory is the shared story of resistance of those who heeded the cry of nature, who did not leave their land, trees, and water at the mercy of capital.”

The statement noted that the damage inflicted on natural areas cannot be measured in economic terms, and that the people of Akbük, by uniting in their environmental struggle and fighting on legal and scientific grounds, have achieved results.

The Akbük Nature and Life Association also thanked the individuals and organizations that supported the process against the mining project. The statement noted that the association’s legal advisor, lawyer Mehmet Çilsal, and his wife Serpil Çilsal, as well as the Latmos Platform and its components, the Didim Association, AYÇED, and the Akbelen-İkizköy components, contributed to the struggle by preparing the case.

The association’s management also thanked the people of Akbük and environmental volunteers who supported the protection of natural areas in the region throughout the process, emphasizing that solidarity is one of the important elements of the legal struggle.

Expressing their hope that the legal outcome achieved in Akbük will also give hope to environmental organizations fighting to protect natural areas in different regions of Türkiye, the association’s management concluded its statement with the following words: “May this torch of victory lit in Akbük be a source of hope for all nature defenders across Türkiye who are resisting for their mountains, streams, forests, and olive groves.

“We will not deviate an inch from our determination to protect our nature, defend our habitats, and leave a livable world for future generations. Nature has won, life has won.”

A meeting last year against the quarry provoked intense reactions from local citizens. Representatives of mass organizations in Didim and Akbük, political parties and many citizens attended the meeting. People protested the project with whistles and applause, often chanting ‘Don’t touch my air, my water, my soil!’