Coal, ash, and other tales: The making and remaking of the anti-coal movement in Aliağa, Turkey

Aliaga Bay–located on the Aegean coast, with abundant scenic landscapes, pristine waters, and archaeologically important sites–was initially designated as a heavy industrial development zone by the 1961 Constitution. Turkey at one stroke left behind the Third World evolutionary phase and entered a new one full of the promises and challenges of modern industrial society. The legal turn of the Aliaga anti-coal movement proved to be a winning card in the 1990s, mainly because it was not the solitary effort of a single organization, rather, it brought together a diverse set of actors that formed a broad supporter base. The anti-coal struggle in Aliaga has particularly been instrumental and arguably pioneered the “legal turn” of environmental activism in Turkey, holding the state accountable for environmental injustices through multi-faceted efforts. The chapter concludes by offering some ideas for a synthesis of the continuities and ruptures of the environmental struggle in Aliaga.