PodcastVillagers from Erdoğan's hometown protest hydroelectric power plant
Residents of the Gürgen village in the Black Sea province of Rize's Güneysu district--the hometown of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's father--protested against the construction of a hydroelectric powerplant. “The operation here is against the law and has no legal basis, leave our village, we will not give you permission to take our land and destroy our river,” the villagers said.
Duvar English
Residents of the Gürgen village in the Black Sea province of Rize's Güneysu district -- the hometown of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's father -- protested against the construction of a hydroelectric powerplant, occupying the site and forcing companies to remove heavy machinery from the area, according to a report in the daily Evrensel newspaper.
The protest has been ongoing for amonth, in opposition to the power plant which will be built over theGürgen River. Residents appealed to a provincial court to halt theproject, and requested that the BORA energy company postponeconstruction until the court hands down its decision. The companyopted to continue construction, angering locals and causing amounting reaction.
Over the weekend, village residentsgathered together and demanded that the company leave the area andtake their heavy machinery. “The operation here is against the lawand has no legal basis, leave our village, we will not give youpermission to take our land and destroy our river,” the villagerssaid, according to the report.
Following the villagers' protest, thecompany's workers removed the machinery from the field and streambed. Previously, the Gürgen villagers had released a statementsaying they had been tricked by authorities, and that they were toldthat roads rather than a hydroelectric power plant were being builtin the area.