Akbelen Forest
Italy
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Akbelen Forest (Turkish: Akbelen Ormanı) is a woodland in the Muğla Province of Turkey, located near İkizköy village. In July 2023, most of the forest was cut down by YK Energy to make way for expansion of İkizköy lignite mine, which supplies the nearby Yeniköy power station. The deforestation attra
cted protests in July 2023. The protests were met with a police response and national media attention. 60 percent of the forest had been destroyed by August. A presidential decree to expropriate over 2000 hectares of land for mining was granted in March 2024, but cancelled the same month. In July 2025 the government proposed that mining companies will not have to wait for EIA approval from the ministry before extending the mine. As of May 2026 a case continues in the Constitutional Court.
Listen to the audio guide for Akbelen Forest Free on WIP — starts by itself when you arrive, even with the screen off