Expropriation, land rights, community consent No consultations with the local stakeholders during the planning and certification process have been undertaken. Many landowners were informed first when the construction machines were on their private property, others even after construction was completed.

Harassment of people opposing the project The ABK Wind Energy Project in Çeşme has been the subject of strong opposition from local people and affected landowners. The company responded, including:

• Repeated attacks in local and regional media against people opposing the energy project. Unrelated, false and unsupported media stories were used to adversely affect the reputation of key campaigners and to question the motivations behind the campaign and influence local public opinion;

• Legal harassment through a barrage of criminal complaints, and the opening of multiple, spurious legal cases against key campaigners and administrators of the campaign’s social media and website;

• Filing complaints requesting the authorities to investigate campaigners under official Anti -Terror legislation and referring to them as ‘an organized, criminal group working against the energy company and 'broader national interests'. The company also requested the campaigner’s phones and bank accounts to be investigated;

• The company has filed a case at the İzmir Commercial court (hearing was on the 28 June 2019), alleging that 'actions against the project amount to unfair competition and have led to the failure of the project’.

A 2017 Germanwatch-Misereor report on Germany's energy sector and human rights stated on the ABK Cesme Wind Power-Nordex SE project that, 'Livelihoods are threatened by the destruction of vital natural resources (soils,water etc.)' and that 'the German National Contact Point partially accepted only one complaint – against Nordex SE – concerning a wind farm in Turkey. In the course of the mediation procedure Nordex agreed to improve its due diligence process. This pledge relates to future cases, however, whereas the concerns of those directly affected in this specific case were not dealt with adequately.'

Nature Protection Areas The Çeşme wind turbines are situated in the Sarnic Valley, recognized in 1994 as 1st and 2nd degree Nature Protection Areas for their environmental importance. These areas are home to many rare and protected species of plant and animal, some of which are only found on the peninsular.

Effects on local species An ornithological report (2012) by the Akdeniz University stated that, “It is inevitable that the turbines to be constructed in the area will directly and indirectly affect the living and inanimate beings around them.” The report further mentioned that, "Facilities that have a direct relationship with soil, vegetation and wildlife will also partially affect habitat use of native bird species that use the site as a habitat. Of the 79 bird species identified in the area, 21 are native."

International studies have shown that revolving wind turbines kill substantial numbers of migrating and resident birds. The existence of huge wind turbines in such a small area will have a significant effect on the unique microclimate, potentially endangering local endemic species (Cesme Platformu).

Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) No environmental impact assessment study was required for the development of this project in this extremely sensitive environment. The project was issued an 'EIA report not required' in 2008. A case against this decision was filed in 2014 at the Administrative court in Izmir, which rejected the need of an EIA. The verdict was opposed at the Supreme court in Ankara, that ruled that an EIA is needed. For five years the EIA case has been prolonged until June 2019.