İzzettin Akman

İzzettin Akman is a Kurdish farmer from southeastern Turkey, known for his struggle against environmental degradation caused by plastic waste dumping near his citrus groves. In late 2016, he witnessed a construction truck dumping rubbish near his farm, which subsequently ignited and severely damaged his orange and lemon trees. His story highlights the broader issue of Turkey becoming a dumping ground for European plastic waste, contrasting with the country's declared ambitions of becoming a 'zero waste' nation.