Arrest draws concern from legal professionals and bar associations amid ongoing legal disputes in western Türkiye
İkizköy, Milas, Muğla, Türkiye — 31 March 2026
Esra Işık, an environmental and human rights defender from İkizköy in the Milas district of Muğla, western Türkiye, was detained at her home late on the night of 30 March 2026 and subsequently placed under arrest by a duty judge at the Milas Courthouse.
According to information provided by her family and legal representatives, Işık was first taken to the Milas District Gendarmerie Command and later referred to the courthouse, where a decision for pretrial detention was issued.
Local residents state that the detention and arrest followed tensions during a court-appointed expert site inspection carried out as part of ongoing lawsuits concerning the urgent expropriation of agricultural lands surrounding the Akbelen Forest. Villagers involved in the case reported that they had not been informed in advance of the inspection and raised objections to valuation procedures being conducted while legal proceedings remain pending.
Speaking after the court decision, members of Işık’s family emphasized that their longstanding efforts have focused on seeking legal remedies regarding their land and livelihoods, and expressed their expectation that the judicial process be conducted fairly and transparently.
Esra Işık’s lawyer, Ramazan Kaya, stated that the charges relate to allegations of resisting a public official. He underlined that pretrial detention should be applied only in exceptional circumstances and argued that, given Işık’s lack of a criminal record and strong ties to her community, alternative measures could have been considered.
The arrest has also drawn responses from legal organizations. The İzmir Bar Association issued a statement expressing concern over the decision, noting that the case raises broader questions regarding the protection of fundamental rights, including the right to legal remedy and peaceful objection. The Bar Association called for careful consideration of proportionality in the use of pretrial detention and emphasized the importance of safeguarding the rule of law.
Several civil society organizations and legal professionals have similarly expressed support for Esra Işık, highlighting the need to ensure that individuals involved in ongoing legal disputes are not subjected to disproportionate measures.
The case is unfolding in the context of continuing legal challenges to a presidential decree issued on 10 January 2026, which ordered the urgent expropriation of 679 parcels of agricultural land in and around several neighbourhoods near the Akbelen Forest. The decision is linked to planned coal mining expansion by Yeniköy Kemerköy Electricity Generation and Trade Inc. (YK Energy). A total of 96 citizens have filed lawsuits against the expropriation decision, and judicial review processes are ongoing.
Observers note that developments in the case will be closely followed, particularly with regard to the application of legal safeguards, the conduct of expropriation procedures, and the protection of rights in environmental and land-related disputes.
Position and Calls
Doğa Derneği expresses concern over the arrest of Esra Işık and its implications for the protection of fundamental rights in the context of ongoing environmental and land-related disputes. The association underscores the importance of ensuring that all legal processes are carried out in line with the principles of fairness, necessity, and proportionality.
Doğa Derneği also reiterates its commitment to the protection of the Akbelen Forest and its surrounding ecosystems.
We stand for life.
We call on the relevant authorities to:
• Cancel the urgent expropriation decision concerning Akbelen;
• Immediately suspend mining activities in the region;
• Ensure the removal of heavy machinery from the site and safeguard soil integrity;
• Commission an independent, expert-led ecological restoration plan;
• Recognize and secure the rights of nature under constitutional protection in Akbelen and across Türkiye.
In a year when Türkiye is preparing to host the UN Climate Change Conference (COP31), ensuring the protection of fundamental rights, including the right to access justice and to peacefully defend one’s environment, will be essential to demonstrating alignment with international climate and human rights commitments.