In the neighborhood of Kurtderesi in Samandağ (Hatay), villagers organized a protest against the “urgent expropriation” practices launched after the earthquake. Led by the “We Are Defending Our Land Initiative,” participants carried a banner reading “We are protecting our titled lands, nature, and living spaces” and declared, “We will not allow our citrus groves and olive trees to be destroyed.”

Villagers gathered in the olive and citrus orchards that had been expropriated for the 5th phase TOKI project and marched to the rally area, demanding the annulment of the decisions, saying, “These lands are our future.”

The rally was attended by representatives of TIP, TÖP, SYKP, DEM Party, EMEP, Kaldıraç, CHP, environmental organizations, and residents from nearby districts. Local people and environmental groups stated that the decisions, taken without completing legal processes or conducting environmental impact assessments, threaten agricultural production, ecological balance, and cultural heritage.

In a statement read on behalf of the organizing committee, they said: “Expropriations must be halted immediately. The seized lands must be returned, and new trees must be planted to replace the cut olive and citrus trees.”

The mayor of Samandağ, Emrah Karaçay, said that they had conveyed the people’s demands to Minister Murat Kurum during the Hatay Provincial Coordination Meeting, adding: “Citizens whose labor was ignored during harvest season must be compensated for their losses. Public facilities should be built in a way that fits the community’s structure, and housing should be constructed on public land.”

In her speech, DEM Party co-chair Tülay Hatimoğulları said that Hatay has not received sufficient support after the earthquake, noting: “No other place has had so many areas declared as ‘reserve zones.’ The goal is to change Hatay’s demographic structure and profit from people’s land.”

Criticizing the 5th phase TOKI housing project, Hatimoğulları stated: “This area is full of tangerine groves and olive trees. People sustain both their livelihoods and their culture from this land. Therefore, the 5th phase TOKI project must be relocated immediately. You must listen to the people’s demands.”

Reminding that women in Kurtderesi have been holding a vigil for days, Hatimoğulları added: “Greetings to the mothers and the people of Samandağ who are resisting for their land. We will never allow them to drive us away from these lands.”

Perihan Koca, member of TÖP’s Spokespersons Council and DEM Party MP, said: “They turned Hatay into a laboratory for capitalist projects, treating the earthquake as a business opportunity.”

TİP Central Committee member İrfan Değirmenci said: “Citizens want homes, yes—but they want them built on public land. You cannot seize people’s titled property.”

The rally concluded with musical performances by artists İlkay Akkaya and Cevdet Bağca.