Cengiz Holding, which comes to mind when it comes to ecological plunder, continues its plunder in many provinces, setting its sights on forests, plateaus and living spaces in many areas such as mining, energy, roads and construction. Cengiz has plundered the Eşkencedere Valley of Rize's İkizdere district with a quarry, part of the Black Sea Coastal Road, dams in Trabzon and Artvin, mining tenders in Murgul, Ordu-Giresun and Rize-Artvin airports built by filling the sea. Cengiz continues to destroy Cennet Bay in Muğla's Bodrum district and continues to cut down 1 million trees in Çanakkale's Mount Ida. Cengiz, who is also preparing for the cyanide gold mine to be built in Alpagut and Atalan neighborhoods of Eskişehir, has restarted the process for the mine in Cerattepe in the central district of Artvin, where the Constitutional Court ruled a violation and the Rize Administrative Court issued a stay of execution. Cengiz, who recently received the tender for the copper mine in Sinop Boyabat district, has also received the tender for mineral exploration covering an area of 1,930 hectares, which will include 10 villages in Artvin Arhavi district, and has taken action for drilling works. Citizens have been organizing protests and demonstrations since the tender was made, most recently with a mass demonstration on November 2, emphasizing that they will not allow drilling.

 

'WE ARE IN THE PROCESS OF CREATING RESISTANCE TENTS'

 

We talked to Mehmet Aksoylu, a member of the Vaminon (We Don't Want) Movement formed by citizens against mining in Arhavi, about the latest situation in Arhavi and the struggle against mining activities. Aksoylu said that they had heard that the company had sent a letter to the Arhavi District Governorate regarding the drilling activities, but they were not informed about the content of this letter. Stating that lawsuits have been filed against the mine for the cancellation of both the drilling and the mining license, Aksoylu noted that in addition to the legal process, the political struggle process continues through the mayor.

 

Stating that the AKP mayor of Arhavi promised to support them, Aksoylu said: “In addition to these, we call on our citizens to act sensitively and take precautions. The state of law in our country is obvious. Unfortunately, we do not have high hopes for the political process. Because we do not expect a solution from the source of the problem. We continue our organizing process so that citizens do not lose their sensitivity. We openly declare that we will intervene in a de facto situation. We will not allow any work in the region. We continue to prepare for this. Together with the villagers, we are in the process of establishing a surveillance system that keeps the area under control and then creating resistance tents in various locations.”

 

LANDSLIDE THREAT

 

 

 

Pointing out that the area where the mine wants to be opened is an area where villagers actively live, Aksoylu emphasized that they will not allow a mine in an area other than this area. Underlining that the Black Sea is a very mountainous region that also receives heavy rainfall. 

“Both settlements and areas outside of them are areas where serious erosion, landslides and floods are experienced. Even a controlled, extremely careful and meticulous mining activity here, as they claim, will lead to very serious consequences. Such meticulousness has not been shown anywhere. We know the results of the actions of mining companies beyond their rhetoric. During the period of HEPPs, no promises were kept and we had bitter experiences. There is no way these promises can be kept due to the rainfall and geographical structure of the region. Drilling and blasting in the region will cause landslides and floods. There will also be chemical waste and soil waste, no matter which mine is in question here. These will definitely destroy our nature. People are actively trying to live here and carry out agriculture, animal husbandry and tourism activities. We are resisting because it will become unlivable,” Aksoylu said.

 

'MONOPOLIZATION IS WORRYING'

 

Stating that the awarding of mining tenders to Cengiz Holding one by one is also worrying, Aksoylu said, “Physically, there is a situation where the underground resources of a country are given to a company. It is troubling for a company to have so much say and to act in such a way. It is worrying that the tenders are gathered in a single hand. Mines are the country's strategic resources. Cengiz Holding received a tax amnesty. We don't know how many this is.”

 

'THE ATTACK IS GENERAL, SO MUST BE THE FIGHT'

  

Underlining that the country is facing a serious mining attack related to imperial policies, Aksoylu noted that since the attack is not local, the struggle is insufficient when it is local. Mentioning that they are trying to unite the anti-mining struggle, Aksoylu continued as follows: “But the ruling party is making serious efforts to divide the struggle in the region by using a divisive language. It definitely does not want us to come together. It tries to destroy the physical conditions for this and also tries to prevent it culturally. For example, in Arhavi, when our anti-mining friends come to the district to support us, it is written in local newspapers that outsiders are provoking the process. We say that we need to be sensitive about this issue and that this struggle cannot be fought alone, that the attack is general, and that the surrounding districts will be directly affected by the consequences of this attack. Nature is a whole and the mining activity here will definitely affect Hopa and Fındıklı. This problem is also everyone's problem. We invite all our environmental and nature-friendly friends to be sensitive and to support the points that are struggling.” 

 

MA / Tolga Güney