# Diyarbakır solar energy project protests

> Developing situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/diyarbakr-solar-energy-project-protests
> Updated: 2026-10-30T09:08:26.000Z. Sources: 2. Developments: 2.

Protests erupted in the Sur district of Diyarbakır, specifically in the Kervanpınar village area, following the start of construction for a Solar Energy Plant (GES). Local residents, members of the DEM Party, and various civil society organizations organized a march to oppose the development. Protesters were blocked by gendarmerie units near the site. Demonstrators argued that an expert report had previously found the Environmental Impact Assessment for the project to be unsuitable. DEM Party Diyarbakır Co-Chair Yunus Muratakan criticized the use of security forces, stating that law enforcement should be protecting people and rights rather than corporate interests and land at the expense of local environment and water resources.

The dispute has moved to the Turkish Parliament, where EMEP Gaziantep Deputy Sevda Karaca submitted parliamentary inquiries regarding the allocation of over 540 decares of communal pasture land to the Zenkar company for two solar power projects. Karaca raised concerns that the 49-year production licenses threaten local livelihoods by restricting access to grazing lands and agricultural areas. The inquiries target the Ministers of Energy and Natural Resources, Agriculture and Forestry, and Culture and Tourism. Karaca requested clarification on the legal basis for changing the pasture status and whether political connections influenced the decision. She also requested an archaeological investigation of the site due to the presence of stones suspected to be fossils.

## Timeline

### 2026-10-30: Diyarbakır solar energy project brought to Turkish Parliament

Turkish Deputy Sevda Karaca has challenged the allocation of 540 decares of pasture land in Diyarbakır to a solar energy company, citing threats to local farming and potential archaeological sites.

2 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/diyarbakr-solar-energy-project-brought-to-turkish-parliament

### 2026-10-21: Diyarbakır protesters confront gendarmerie over solar plant

Protesters and local residents in Diyarbakır's Sur district were blocked by gendarmerie while marching against a solar energy project that is currently under legal review.

2 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/diyarbakr-protesters-confront-gendarmerie-over-solar-plant

---
Cite as: Diyarbakır solar energy project protests. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/diyarbakr-solar-energy-project-protests