State forces try to bar deputies from inspecting the site in Akbelen forest

Deputies and officials of the Green Left Party and the Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) on Friday visited a site in Turkey's western district of Milas where trees in a woodland were torn down for the expansion of a coal mine.

The delegation was first barred by troops from entering the site, but they were eventually allowed in after talks.

A camp of environmental activists near the site was recently evacuated by force on Tuesday in a move by state authorities to move protesters out of the area. The activists have been holding a vigil to protect the Akbelen forest from further destruction since mid July.

Ibrahim Akin, the co-chair of the Green Left Party, told reporters after the inspection of the site that they were sorry for having failed in stopping the destruction of nature.

"We have witnessed an unbelievable destruction of nature at the site," he said. "The state has now started to position itself according to the needs of capital owners. The soldiers and the police, whose wages are funded by our tax money, have set up barricades against the people here."

The delegation called for solidarity with the group of locals and activist who have been putting up a resistance against further destruction of the woodland.