Mining project will destroy nature for 40 years
Impact Can BOLATCAN
The people of Niksar are continuing their struggle against the proposed bentonite mining project in the town of Yazıcık, Niksar district, Tokat . The residents held a press conference at the mining site, where the mining license was issued, emphasizing the danger of landslides and the importance of the region's endemic plants.
The announcement, which drew high participation, was supported by local people, many unions, NGOs, and associations from surrounding villages. Yazıcık Mayor Tuncer Uzunoğlu and CHP Deputy Chairman and Istanbul MP Özgür Karabat also attended the announcement.
The statement assessed the potential damage the mining project would inflict on the region. Villagers stated that a mining project in Yazıcık, a landslide and earthquake zone, would cause both environmental destruction and natural disasters. They said, "If the mine is built, what will remain in our village? Everything will be gone. Our land will be gone, our livestock will be gone, our homes will be gone. There are many plants, and damaging them is forbidden. If the mine is built there, all the plants will die. They only care about the money they will make; no one cares about our situation."
Yazıcık Mayor Tuncer Uzunoğlu, speaking in a statement, said, "The reason we are here today is because we oppose the proposed Bentonite Mine, which will take away our beautiful nature and the right to life of all living creatures, especially our people. The implementation of such a project will cause irreversible damage to our town's people, our villages, and our nature."
Speaking at the statement, CHP Deputy Chairman Özgür Karabat criticized the government's nature and mining policies. Noting that the people of Yazıcık earn their living from the areas where mining is planned, Karabat said, "This project, launched with the promise of extracting bentonite, is a direct act of destruction against nature. This mining operation, which is said to last 40 years, threatens not only nature but also wheat, walnuts, cherries, streams, forests, birds, and our health. An ancient ecosystem formed over millions of years cannot be sacrificed for 40 years of corporate profit. Our concern is survival."
Özgür Karabat, noting that the Mining Law, currently on the public agenda, will also harm Yazıcık, said, "We oppose the opening of agricultural lands, pastures, forests, and drinking water basins to mining activities. We advocate for scientific and transparent EIA processes. The public cannot be deceived by 'copy-and-paste' EIA reports. No project without the consent of the local population can be in favor of the people. Millions of our citizens living in rural areas today earn their living from land, forests, and animal husbandry. If these resources are destroyed in the name of mining, unemployment, migration, and poverty will be the only things left."
The fight against the bentonite mining project planned to be established in Yazıcık Town, Niksar District of Tokat, continues:
"If the mine is built, what will remain in our village? Everything will be gone!" https://t.co/dFtF86NJZ0 pic.twitter.com/thAurAzite
— BirGün Newspaper (@BirGun_Gazetesi) July 19, 2025
Citizens had previously protested the mining project by not attending the information meeting held as part of the EIA process initiated by the project owner through the Yazıcık Nature and Environmental Protection Board and by reporting the signed petitions they had collected against the mine to the commission.
BirGün
