Zehra Nine, symbol of the Akbelen Resistance, passes away
79-year-old Zehra Yıldırım, one of the pioneers of the struggle to protect the Akbelen Forest in the Milas district of Muğla, has passed away.
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Zehra Yıldırım, who lived in İkizköy and became a symbol of the resistance against the conversion of the Akbelen Forest into a mining site, lost her life today. A mother of two and grandmother of three, Yıldırım had made a great effort to protect the forest alongside villagers and environmentalists.
Zehra Yıldırım had tried to defend the forest by hugging the centuries-old pine trees alongside her relative Esra Işık, becoming one of the symbolic figures of this resistance. According to a report by Sözcü, Yıldırım, who passed away due to cancer, will be laid to rest today at the İkizköy Cemetery.
In a statement following the death of Zehra Yıldırım, Esra Işık said, "We have lost our grandmother Zehra! We have lost our grandmother Zehra, who fearlessly walked at the forefront of the resistance in Akbelen. Our condolences. Our hearts are burning! Our grandmother Zehra was the honor of this land. We will uphold her memory, her struggle, our trees that she clung to every branch of, and our olives."