Muğla, in Western Turkey, should be heaven. With its deep blue sea, secret bays, olive trees, fertile agricultural lands and its history tracing back to the ancient times, it’s made to be idyllic. Instead, right now, it contains a nightmare.
Life here is uprooted for the sake of the coal mines. Villages are emptied, and three coal power plants are poisoning the surrounding life. Along with the lignite mines that supply them, they’ve been affecting the geography, health, culture, economy and social life of the region for the last 35 years.
Today, we have a role to play in lifting up the stories of those who defend their lands, their hometowns and their heaven at all costs against those who want to turn the region into a coal-burning hell for many years.
Be the megaphone for the people of Muğla. Watch and share their story now:
“The Curse of Coal” is produced by Re:common and Kibrit Film.
We know we need to end the age of fossil fuels. Retirement age coal mines and plants should be the first to close. Yet Turkey is considering extending the lifespan of the region’s three coal power plants, with the financing of Italian bank, Unicredit.
This is make-or-break time for Muğla, and all of us: now is the time to make an urgent and just transition away from coal and ensure our future – not invest more into its costly past.