The planned copper mine in Aktarla neighborhood of Malatya's Pütürge district
project, villagers reacted harshly to the authorities. Villagers said, “This project
will destroy our living spaces,” they said, loudly voicing their opposition to the project.
he brought.
Group IV (Copper) planned in Aktarla neighborhood of Pütürge district of Malatya
Villagers' reaction against the Mining Quarry and Beneficiation Plant project is growing
is growing. At an information meeting on the project, villagers lashed out at the authorities.
opposition.
Villagers participating in the meeting said that mining activities will affect agricultural areas, water resources and
that they firmly oppose the project, stating that it will threaten their habitat.
he expressed. Tension at times at the meeting where the hall was almost full
rose.
Addressing the officials, a villager said, “We were born on this land, we make our living on this land. Mining means the destruction of water, soil and life.”
Another villager said, “This mine will affect not only Aktarla, but all the villages in Pütürge and Kale. Our water, soil and animal husbandry will be finished. That's why we are totally against it,” he said.
At the meeting, the current state of the mine site and the damage caused by similar projects
photos were shared with the participants. Villagers said that these images would be used
that it would cause irreversible environmental damage.
While the authorities' explanations about the project did not convince the villagers, during the meeting
people have made it clear that they are against the project. The villagers want to protect their habitat
for the rights of the people of Turkey, emphasizing that they will continue their legal and social struggle.
“We have to be united against this process”
Speaking at the meeting, Yusuf Usul, President of Hüsükkuşağı Association, spoke against the mining project.
he used harsh expressions. In his procedural speech, he said the following:
“It is obvious what mining sites have become in Turkey. We want our nature
poisoning and destroying our land. Our living space
”We will never allow a project that will destroy it."
Usul called on the people of the village for unity and continued his words as follows:
“We have to be united against this process. Because we are talking about
our life, our nature and our future.”
These statements were supported with applause by the villagers in the hall.
A common and decisive stance was taken against the mining project.
Speaking at the meeting, all village headmen in the region objected to the planned copper mine project.
They expressed their strong opposition to the project. The mukhtars have expressed their opposition to the project.
that they will never allow this, and that they will take all necessary legal processes in this context.
that they were going to launch a new campaign.
Company officials did not attend the meeting
During the meeting, the reaction of the villagers gradually increased and there was a loud
tensions prevailed. The villagers said that the project officials had come to the meeting area
and they were not present at the meeting, despite the fact that they were the people's interlocutors.
criticized.
The refusal of project officials to attend the meeting was described by villagers as a “public
ignoring the will of the people”. This led to further reaction in the hall.
while villagers say the authorities' attitude has made them even more determined.
that it has made the world a better place.
The meeting also focused on “public participation”, which is one of the basic principles of the EIA process.”
principle has been de facto violated. Villagers, meeting
that about 50 people were left in Çanakçı Village before the meeting, therefore the meeting
they could not reach the site.
The villagers argued that this was a deliberate or negligent obstruction,
The public's participation in the process has been virtually eliminated. Villagers,
“The most basic condition of EIA is public participation. If people are not brought to the meeting
it has no legitimacy,”
in the form of a "no".
This escalated the tensions in the meeting hall and the villagers
argued that the process was not transparent and fair from the beginning.
Environmental hazards were explained
Speaking at the meeting, Erkan, a resident of Bölükkaya Village and a graduate of Public Administration
Aydın explained in detail the damages the mining facility would cause to the region. Aydin,
irreversible destruction of nature if the project is realized
water resources will be polluted, water resources will be contaminated, and the socio-cultural and
economic life would be eliminated.
Aydın used the following words in his speech:
“It is obvious what will happen to nature if a mining facility is established in this region. Our water
pollution, livestock and agriculture will end, and the lives of the villagers will be destroyed. These mountains
God created this village for the villagers, so that the project authorities can come and blast the mountains and make money.
did not create it.”
Aydın's remarks were greeted with applause for a long time by the villagers in the hall.
One of the most remarkable moments of the meeting was when Erkan Aydın, a resident of Bölükkaya Village
Examples of mining sites across Turkey to the participants with visuals
and the demonstration. Aydın used these examples to show that their own regions could face the same fate.
and used the following expressions:
“The state of mining sites in Turkey is obvious. Our own region, our own
and we will not allow our nature to become like this.”
Remarks that provoked a reaction
At this point, one of the officials present at the meeting said, “We are ending the meeting, we cannot stay here until the evening,” which caused a reaction in the hall.
“If the issue is nature, if the issue is the life of this people, we will be here until the morning,” Erkan Aydın responded harshly to this statement.
Upon Aydın's remarks, the majority of the villagers in the hall stood up and spoke for a long time.
applauded for a while. With this attitude, the villagers expressed their opposition to Erkan Aydın and the mining project.
showed their full support for the stance taken.
Towards the end of the meeting, another remarkable development took place. Participants
According to the report, one of the officials present at the meeting said that Erkan Aydın's statements
and then turned to him and said, “Don't look at me like that, I'm on your side,”
"I am not a conscientious observer of the ongoing process. With this statement, the official said that the process was being carried out in good conscience.
that he was at a point where he needed to be questioned as a politician.
However, villagers who attended the meeting said that these remarks were not recorded in the official minutes.
that the conscientious approach taken was not recorded. This situation also led to
transparency has been criticized by citizens.
The project is unconstitutional
Speaking again at the end of the meeting, Erkan Aydın, a resident of Bölükkaya Village, said that the planned
the mining facility project is in line with the Constitution, applicable laws and
is in clear violation of international conventions. Aydın, the project
violation of the villagers' right to life guaranteed by the Constitution
and brought this situation to the attention of the authorities on legal grounds.
Erkan Aydın said in his speech that the mining project is being implemented despite the people and without the will of the people.
and that this is a practice contrary to the rule of law.
he stated. However, the officials present at the meeting did not seem to be aware of this legal
insisted on not recording the evaluations in the minutes.
Upon this attitude, the tension in the hall increased again and the villagers openly expressed their reaction.
and expressed his concerns. After the discussions, the statement was not recorded in the minutes
legal assessments are submitted to the authorities in writing and recorded.
to be taken into custody.