The Heart of Latmos: A Battle for 8,000 Years of History and Nature

Jonathan, a 20-year Akbük expat, details the urgent expropriation for Falp RES, threatening Latmos Mountains’ 8,000-year-old heritage and 7,827 trees. An urgent call to action for local government and the public.

Ah, friends! My heart has journeyed through many a mountain, plain, and sea. I’ve breathed the ancient silence of the Himalayas, felt the free spirit of Goa, and been enchanted by the mystical aura of Kathmandu in my youth. There, I learned that land isn’t just ground beneath our feet, but a living, breathing entity where our souls take root. Yet, here in Latmos, right on Akbük’s doorstep, in these mountains that carry an 8,000-year-old spirit, it feels as though someone is intent on striking this life right at its core…

You know the saying, ‘Friends showing off their shopping’? Well, this feels more like ‘EIA cancelled, but the project continues’ – a truly bewildering situation. The Falp RES project was previously halted by a court order, declaring that ‘this cannot proceed as planned.’ But alas, what do we see now? Axes are being prepared to strike at the very heart of this magnificent ecosystem, nestled at the foot of the ancient Latmos Mountains, home to 8,000-year-old rock paintings and countless species, all under the guise of an energy transmission line. Urgent expropriation decisions have been made by presidential decree, affecting hundreds of plots from Aydın’s Karpuzlu to Muğla’s Milas – fields, pastures, forests… And most heartbreakingly, a staggering 7,827 trees are slated to be cut down! One can’t help but wonder: is this truly an energy project, or an act of ecological devastation?

The Ancient Breath of Latmos Under Threat

Latmos is not merely a mountain range within the borders of Aydın and Muğla; it’s an open-air museum stretching from prehistoric times to the present day. Bearing the memory of humanity with its 8,000-year-old rock paintings and hosting thousands of creatures within its rich ecosystem, it holds various statuses: an ‘important natural area,’ ‘forest land,’ ‘agricultural land,’ ‘meadow-pasture,’ and ‘irrigation area.’ Now, plans are underway to erect 105 electricity poles for a 154 kV energy transmission line, intended to carry electricity from Falp RES to the Çine Transformer Centre. For these poles and the line, hundreds of properties in Karpuzlu’s Yağışlar, Şenköy, Cumalar, Akçaabat, Gölcük, Aleyhan, Ektirli, Abak, Saraçlar, and Gökyaka neighbourhoods, along with Milas’s Çukur neighbourhood, are being urgently expropriated. Before our very eyes, an ecological and cultural heritage faces the risk of annihilation. This would be a loss not just for Latmos, but for the entire region, and indeed, for humanity.

What Should Local Government Do?

As Jonathan, a British expat who has been deeply involved in Akbük’s civil society for two decades and truly loves every inch of this land, I firmly believe that local governments cannot, and must not, merely be spectators in this matter! First and foremost, they must exhaust all legal avenues to challenge this urgent expropriation decision. Let them remember that the rule of law is the rule of nature. Secondly, yes, we have energy needs, but must this come at the cost of sacrificing an ancient ecosystem? They must seriously consider alternative routes, less destructive technologies, or more efficient energy consumption strategies. Municipalities are not just institutions that lay asphalt and collect rubbish; they are also the guardians of our soil, water, air – in short, our future. They must heed the voice of Latmos and articulate it not in Ankara’s corridors, but within their own councils. Village headmen, mayors, council members… they must stand as one voice against this decision, becoming the voice of nature.

What Can We, the Public, Do?

Oh, wonderful people of Akbük, Didim, and Latmos! This world is not inherited from our fathers, but entrusted to us by our children. In my youth, in the lush valleys of Nepal and by the sacred rivers of India, I felt both the power and the fragility of nature simultaneously. Now, it’s our turn! First, let’s get informed; let’s learn the details of this project. Then, let’s raise our voices; let’s organise petition campaigns and create awareness on social media. Let’s stand shoulder to shoulder with civil society organisations and support their struggle. 

Let’s pressure our elected local officials, demanding a clear stance on this issue. Let’s not forget that when we come together, we can move even the greatest mountains. The rocks of Latmos have been whispering to us for 8,000 years: ‘Protect me!’ Let’s make sure those who haven’t heard this whisper, hear it now, so that tomorrow our children won’t ask us, ‘Why did you remain silent?’