Elbistan Residents Protest 'Additional' Thermal Plant Project Amid Health Concerns

In Elbistan, a region still grappling with the devastation of the February earthquakes, a new threat looms: the proposed "additional" project at the Afşin-Elbistan A Thermal Power Plant. While authorities may frame it as an expansion, local communities and environmental advocates see it as a dangerous escalation, potentially exacerbating the already severe environmental and health crises plaguing the area. The plant, privatized in 2018 and now under the umbrella of Çelikler Holding, has long been a source of concern due to its malfunctioning filters and the palpable pollution that chokes the air.

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This is not an additional unit, it is essentially a new plant.

The Elbistan Life and Nature Protection Platform has unequivocally stated their opposition, emphasizing that this is not a minor addition but essentially a new plant. Their concerns are echoed by the Elbistan Municipality, which has filed a lawsuit against the Ministry of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change's approval of the project. Deputy Mayor Gülabi Eren stressed the urgency of the situation, stating, "We must stand together in this struggle. Our lands are being plundered. Cancer is increasing day by day in Elbistan." This is a fight for survival, a stand against the relentless environmental degradation that threatens the very lives of the region's inhabitants.

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We must stand together in this struggle. Our lands are being plundered. Cancer is increasing day by day in Elbistan.

Scientific data paints a grim picture. According to the Clean Air Platform, the two power plants in the region have increased cancer rates eightfold. Modeling studies indicate that these plants were responsible for 17,500 premature deaths between their inception and 2020. Even with improved filters, the proposed new units are projected to cause an additional 2,268 premature deaths, with an estimated economic cost of 88.4 billion Turkish Lira in healthcare expenses last year alone. This staggering figure could fund 29 hospitals, each with 500 beds, highlighting the immense societal cost of prioritizing fossil fuels over public health.

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The two plants in the region have increased cancer cases eightfold.

Cuma Binboğa, a resident whose child battled cancer, shared a heartbreaking personal account: "When the plant was built, they said you would profit from this business, but the threat reached our children." His experience underscores the profound human cost of industrial pollution, a cost that extends beyond economic calculations to the very fabric of families and communities. As Turkey aims for a net-zero transition by 2053, initiatives like the Elbistan thermal power plant project raise serious questions about the sincerity of these commitments and the government's willingness to protect its citizens from the devastating impacts of coal-fired power.

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When the plant was built, they said you would profit from this business, but the threat reached our children.