Ecology Activist Warns of Intensified Environmental Destruction in Turkey and Kurdistan by 2026
Melis Tantan, co-spokesperson of the Ecology Commission of the Peoples' Equality and Democracy Party, warned of escalating ecological devastation in Turkey and Kurdistan, predicting 2026 will see intensified environmental damage and social resistance. Tantan highlighted that energy, mining, and infrastructure projects have surged since 2025, causing significant harm to air, water, and soil.
Notable projects, such as the Akkuyu Nuclear Power Plant, oil extraction in Gabar, and natural gas production in the Black Sea, are framed as 'development' but are linked to ecological destruction. Tantan criticized the portrayal of nuclear energy as clean, emphasizing the dependence it creates and its environmental impacts.
She noted that Kurdistan faces severe ecological plunder, exacerbated by military policies that facilitate resource extraction. Tantan called for a focus on protecting water and wetlands in 2026, asserting that ecological defense is tied to peace.
