Residents of Söğütlü, Fethiye, who were detained by gendarmerie while trying to protect their village’s sole water source from a hydroelectric power plant (HES), have spoken out. “Once our water is gone, there’s no point in staying in the village or the Yürek neighborhood. We’re considering putting up a ‘For Sale’ sign at the entrance. Without water, there’s no life here,” they said.
In Söğütlü, locals began a vigil to protest the decision to divert the village’s only water supply to other neighborhoods in Seydikemer, through the Sekiyaka 2 Hydroelectric Power Plant (HES), owned by Fethiye Irrigation Union and Akfen Holding. After facing harsh intervention and detentions by law enforcement, the villagers shared their experiences.
According to Gündem Fethiye, a local news source, the villagers argue that the water currently passing through Söğütlü could still reach the neighborhoods in Seydikemer after passing through their village. Songül Çelik, a resident of Söğütlü, expressed that they have no problem sharing the water and believe that after flowing through Söğütlü, it could be channeled to Seydikemer’s neighborhoods.
‘They Might as Well Uproot the Village’
On August 15, Gülen Çelik, one of the detained villagers, explained the difficulties they’ve faced since their water was cut off. She mentioned that they can no longer use irrigation water and that the pressure on their tap water has increased significantly. They simply want the water to be channeled through their village, allowing the excess to be used by others.
Çelik noted that the water they are given now isn’t sufficient, forcing the villagers to take turns watering their gardens, but it’s still not enough. Both drinking water and irrigation water are at risk, and without them, the crops dry up, making it impossible to continue living in the village.
‘We Felt Humiliated’
Recep Alkaya, another villager who was injured during the gendarmerie intervention, spoke about the long-standing use of the water channels by their ancestors. He emphasized that in the past, the water was abundant, but now it’s scarce. The villagers had asked for their infrastructure to be improved before any water was diverted, but their requests were ignored.
Alkaya also criticized the actions of the Seydikemer Muhtarlar Association President, who allegedly threatened the people of Fethiye by saying, “We’ll cut off your water.” He felt humiliated by the entire process and recounted how his words were twisted by authorities.
During the gendarmerie intervention, Alkaya was physically assaulted and lost consciousness. He later found out that his injuries were downplayed in a medical report, but after filing a complaint, the report was revised five days later.
Alkaya concluded by saying that the village remains under heavy gendarmerie presence. “What did we do to deserve this? We didn’t want this,” he said, expressing frustration over the continued surveillance and restrictions on their movements.
