Gold Mine on Ida Mountains: AKP MP Warns Against 'Worrying Mining Companies'

*People stage a demonstration on the mine field (Photo: Çanakkale Municipality / Twitter)

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Bülent Turan, a Çanakkale MP and the Parliamentary Group Deputy Chair of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), has said on Twitter that the mining company cut down 13 thousand trees, refusing the claims of 195 thousand topped trees during it establishes a gold mine on the İda Mountains, Çanakkale.

"The mining field in not the Ida Mountains but on the Kirazlı Balaban Hill which 40 kilometers afar. The first license is dated March 12, 2001," he said, adding that any move against the Environmental Impact Assessment report "cannot be permitted".

The AKP MP said, "The number of trees that have been cut is not 195 thousand but 13 thousand. Fourteen thousand saplings have already been planted in two different locations. Besides, we will closely follow the reforestation of all the field."

Turan further said that the Çanakkale municipality, which is held by the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP), gave positive reports and permissions "in all cases within its authority, notably the firefighting license".

"In our Çanakkale, mineral explorations are being conducted in eight areas coal mines are run in 11 different areas and marble quarries are run in 40 areas by our businessmen most of whom are members of the CHP," he said and added that the was no reaction against cutting down of similar amounts of trees during the construction of roads, dams and electric lines.

"While Turkey has the reserves to produce 77 of the 90 minerals that are produced in the world, it paid 8.5 billion dollars just for gold exports in the last year.

"It is a pity for hundreds of thousands of citizens who make their living from this sector. Causing worry among all the mine firms is of no use for anyone.

"For the last part, I wish the firm and those concerned could manage the process better. I wish they could host all the parties, civil society organizations and mukhtars and inform them and succeed in not leaving a question mark in anyone's mind." (DB/HA/VK)