This paper analyses the social and political effects of numerous hydroelectric power plant (HEPP) constructions in Turkey with a focus on the Black Sea Region. Based on a field study in villages in three river basins in Duzce, Kastamonu and Rize and with their diaspora associations in Istanbul conducted mainly with the opponents of the power plant constructions, it studies how the peasants respond to the changing involvement of the state and private capital investments in the region. It questions why the resistance movements take different shapes in different regions in the Black Sea Region and under what circumstances they achieve their goals and continue to protect their valleys and under what circumstances they dissolve. One of these cases is Loc Valley in Kastamonu which is a landmark social environmental movement with significant achievements, the second one is Ikizdere Valley in Rize which speaks for a significant social movement that could at least protect some regions of the valley and the third one is Aksu Valley in Duzce which represents a weak local movement that was not able to achieve its goals. I will argue that the differences in outcomes between these three movements are at least partly due to choices in mobilization strategies, willingness to confront the government forces like police and gendarmerie and the presence or absence of clientalistic relationship with the government.