BBC names Turkey's Akbelen activist Nejla Işık among 100 inspiring women

Duvar English

The BBC on Dec. 3 recognized Nejla Işık, Turkish environmental activist and the head of İkizköy village in western Turkey’s Muğla province, for her efforts to protect Akbelen Forest from destruction due to mining activities on its list of 100 inspiring and influential women.

This year, the theme of BBC's list was "resilience." The channel said it aimed to celebrate those who are "forging new lives and changing futures" through their resilience. 

Işık said being included in the BBC list was a significant opportunity to amplify their cause globally. "We had already made Akbelen known worldwide, but this recognition is another chance to reach people everywhere," she said, emphasizing the collective effort of her village.

“This recognition is not just for me,” Işık said. “Behind me stands an entire village, particularly brave women who never gave up hope and faced every challenge head-on. I accept this as an award for all women in Turkey who stand for justice and the environment.”

Despite challenges, Işık pledged that the Akbelen community would never give up their fight. "This is a battle for the right to live in peace in our small village, refusing what has been imposed on us. They destroyed half of our forest last year but didn’t find the coal they were hoping for. Still, we’ve never lost hope or determination," she said.

Işık also offered advice to women seeking success, urging them to "persevere, have faith, believe in their strength, and work hard." She added, “Women are nurturing, practical, compassionate, and capable of turning even the worst situations into something good. Women will make the world a better place.”

Işık said their ultimate goal was to preserve Akbelen’s legacy. "Akbelen was not defeated. Its name and struggle live on. We’ll continue this fight until Akbelen is known for its beauty, not mines, and Milas and Muğla are recognized for their agriculture and tourism," she said.

The BBC highlighted Nejla Işık’s efforts, describing her as a farmer who became the head of İkizköy in the 2024 local elections. For five years, she has led legal battles and protests to prevent the destruction of the forest. 

Since 2019, the 740-decare Akbelen Forest and the İkizköy village have been threatened by plans to extend coal mines by companies with close ties to the Turkish government.

The villagers and environmental activists have maintained a strong resistance to the company’s attempts to cut down trees to clear land for the project. Locals filed a lawsuit against the company YK Energy, a joint affiliate of IC Holding and Limak Holding, for the annulment of the project.

During the judiciary process, courts have several times ruled for the suspension of the coal mine project, but the company refused to abide by these court rulings.

Village residents faced repression and were teargassed by the rural police force during their resistance to the Turkish public’s dismay.