12.05.2026 16:01
Ash mountains from a thermal power plant in the Kangal district of Sivas are negatively affecting life in surrounding villages. While villagers claim that the increase in cancer and respiratory diseases is caused by the plant's waste, it has been reported that many families have left their villages. A villager said, 'Our village was like paradise before. Now it takes a thousand witnesses to even call it a village. It's fair to say there are no normal deaths left in the village.'
The Kangal Thermal Power Plant located in the Kangal district of Sivas continues to pose a threat to surrounding villages.
Due to ash mountains negatively affecting human health, only 30 households remain out of 300 in Hamal village. Residents attribute the increasing cancer cases to the ash from the coal used in the power plant. The second most affected village among the approximately 30 villages impacted by the ash mountains is Mağara village. In this village, deaths, especially from throat cancer and respiratory diseases, have become so frequent that normal deaths are almost forgotten.
BREATHING BECAME DIFFICULT EVEN IN THE VILLAGE The ash mountain, located about 1 kilometer from the village, has surpassed the surrounding hills that encircle the village. In the village, where breathing is impossible during windy weather, trees no longer bear fruit. Only a few households remain out of the 30-household village. Village residents who leave their homes in the winter can only spend a few days in their village when they return for the summer.
"OUR VILLAGE WAS LIKE PARADISE" Hatun Kahveci, a village resident, stated that when she came to Mağara village as a bride in 1979, the village was a paradise-like place, but now it requires a thousand witnesses to even call it a village. She said, "We come to our village, but we cannot plant or harvest. When I came to this village as a bride in 1979, it was like paradise. Now, it takes a thousand witnesses to call it a village. Everywhere was fruit trees, vineyards, and gardens. Our village was crowded; there were two teachers. Now, no one comes or goes, there are no guests. Even the homeowners cannot come and go. Landowners cannot come because there is no planting or harvesting. There are no crops; the trees no longer bear fruit, and the existing fruit is not edible. Our former mukhtar died of cancer. The daughter of the previous mukhtar got cancer. Two-thirds of the entire village has cancer. This ash has destroyed us. We cannot open windows during windy weather; we cannot breathe. When it snows, there is 4-finger deep ash on top. If there is 4-finger deep ash on top of the snow, what can you say about this life? So many applications were made. No one cared. No one cared enough to come here and lend a hand. The ash has completely ended human life here," she said.
"THERE ARE NO NORMAL DEATHS LEFT IN THE VILLAGE" Serkan Karadeniz, a village resident, stated that there are virtually no normal deaths left in their village, saying, "This ash mountain has ended life in our village. We cannot get half of the products we grow. We cannot abandon it completely; you are forced to live on the land where you were born and raised. If there were job opportunities, people would not live here. It's not just our village; about 60 villages are affected by this situation. Hamal village and our village are the most affected. Respiratory diseases like cancer and COPD are very common. Even 10-15 years ago, we heard that people who left the village got cancer. It's fair to say there are no normal deaths left in our village anymore," he said.
PRODUCTION WAS STOPPED BY PRESIDENTIAL DECISION The Kangal Thermal Power Plant, with an annual electricity production capacity of 1 million 908 thousand 229 MWh, became a topic of discussion in 2020 due to its unfiltered chimneys. By order of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, production at the plant was halted on January 1, 2020, on the grounds that it could not meet the filter requirements. After the necessary filter installations were completed on the chimneys, electricity production resumed with one turbine after 30 days and at full capacity 6 months later. The ash, a waste product from the coal used in the thermal plant, has been accumulated within the borders of surrounding villages. Over the years, these openly accumulated ashes have formed a virtual ash mountain, and the ash layer spreads to the environment during windy weather, threatening the villages.