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Solakli Hemsin and Firtina

By Jay Taber

Until 2005, the remote valleys of Eastern Turkey on the Black Sea were known for pristine mountain streams and the cultivation of tea. Since then, when legal reforms opened the doors of electricity production to private companies, local villages have been fighting for the integrity of the ecosystem. Mobilized in 2008, villagers have largely exhausted legal remedies, and since 2011 have clashed repeatedly with soldiers and police.