turkey’s cerattepe case: 32-years-long ‘struggle of existence’
a major copper mine project is being strongly protested by the locals of turkey’s black sea province of artvin’s cerattepe nowadays. they call it “the struggle of existence” and it all started 32 years ago. country’s council of state recently approved a local court decision which will allow a mining company to re-start the project soon. çağdaş erdoğan from 140journos photographed cerattepe:
32 years of “struggle of existence” in cerattepe
photos taken by: çağdaş erdoğan/140journos data compiled by: cansel kiraz/140journos intern
1985turkey’s general directorate of mineral research and exploration kicked off a study to determine mining zones in the region and four spots were proposed for drilling.
1986drillings ended up with a failure and the final report said the sources in the region were not sufficient for a major mining operation. the next year, some private companies were given exploration licences.
1988canadian cominco company was given the operating licence by turkey’s ministry of energy and natural resources.
1992the national park borders were reducted from two sides and cerattepe was taken out of the national park zone and on 31 august 1994 the area declared “hatila national park zone.”
1994artvin locals reported their animals’ death due to the drillings and wastewater.
1995 “green artvin association” was founded by the locals who said they were not informed about the construction and project. the association called on academics to do researchs in the region
1996artvin governor’s office’s local environment board’s report was published, the report criticized the ongoing mining works.
1997 10.000 people signed a petition to halt the mining project, political parties and ngos handed over the petition in ankara which result in halting the project for a while.
2002cominco stepped back and transferred its license to another canadian mining company, inmet mining.
2008turkish parliament’s environment subcomission visited cerattepe to observe the mining project on site. the commission penned a report advising the cancel the project. local rize court cancelled the inmet mining’s license. the company issued a press release saying “it is not possible to complete the project without the support of locals and politicians,” and announced that it has withdrawn from the project.
2009turkey’s council of state approved the local court’s cancellation verdict saying “the mining project will harm the region’s natural sources and beauty,” citing academic researchs on the project and the region.
2011ministry of energy and natural sources announced 1343 mining zones would be put on tender including cerattepe. on 2 april 2011 “great anatolia walk” started from artvin to protest the country-wide environmental damages.
2012the operating license was granted to özaltın construction company with the tender held on 17 february 2012. protests were staged in artvin and ankara on the same day.
2015the locals and environmentalists stood guard to stop excavation machines entrance to the forest for 250 days starting from 25 june 2015.
2016security forces intervened in the protestors and opened the way for work machines on 15 february 2016.
21 fenruary 2016- police intervened in the crowds protesting the -re-launched project with pepper gas and rubber bullets. 26 people were injured according to the doğan news agency report.
2017turkish council of state has approved the local rize court’s verdict which allowed the mining in the region.
