Questions that must be asked following the mining disaster in İliç

On February 13, Turkey was once again shaken by a mining disaster that cost the lives of working citizens and where various instances of negligence were as clear as day. We lost our loved ones again, and our society and lands were left exposed to the risk of poisoning.

It is useful to briefly summarize the incident to recall what happened.

More than 10 million cubic meters of soil, which had been extracted and stockpiled at the Çöpler Mine Site—where Anagold Madencilik Sanayi ve Ticaret A.Ş. has been producing gold since December 2010—flowed like water into the valley from a 200-meter slope on February 13.

As a result of the landslide, 9 workers were left under the soil that spread over a wide area. According to the statement by Minister of Interior Ali Yerlikaya, who conducted inspections at the scene, there are 35 million cubic meters of soil in the area.

ENDLESS QUESTIONS

This massive pile of soil consists of earth extracted as a result of mining activities and stacked on top of itself. Instead of removing the extracted soil with appropriate vehicles in a way that would not harm the environment, it was piled up to reduce operating costs.

Why did no one see this danger, even though the height of the soil pile reached a dangerous level?

It is stated that an inspection was carried out by the Ministry of Energy in August. If so, what was looked at during that inspection, and did this dangerous pile of soil not attract any attention at all?

What was the effect of Çalık having a 20 percent stake in this mine on the inspection? Is there a possibility of making a negative finding during an inspection? Was there any pressure on the inspectors?

Did the Ministry of Environment and the State Hydraulic Works (DSİ) conduct sufficient inspections here, especially regarding the risk of contaminating water resources?

Are there any public bureaucrats and politicians who benefited from Anagold Madencilik Sanayi ve Ticaret A.Ş.? Who helped open every door for this firm and provided convenience during inspections? To what extent does Çalık Holding's 20% shareholding have an impact?

It is obvious that sufficient measures were not taken against this landslide, which came showing itself, and other potential risks. We do not know how the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) reports were prepared, to what extent the actions taken complied with the prepared reports, or what kind of bilateral and political negotiations were conducted during the permitting process.

However, it is clear that from the granting of permits for this mining site to the subsequent inspections that should have been carried out on behalf of the public, the relevant Ministries did not act with sufficient attention and care, and even faulty practices and masses of soil piled on top of each other were ignored.

Despite this tragic incident, the fact that the Minister of Environment and the Minister of Energy, who clearly failed to perform their duties adequately, should resign was not even discussed in this country.

In fact, the then-Minister of Environment, who granted the necessary permits for this mine, appeared before voters in propaganda campaigns for his Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality mayoral candidacy—broadcast on TV—with an advertisement implying that an earthquake occurred in Istanbul and nothing happened to anyone. This is one of the tragicomic events the country has experienced.

Murat Kurum is promising society that he will do as the Mayor of Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality the things he did not/could not do while he was the Minister of Environment.

In our country, the political institution never sees itself as responsible for such events. Through the power of the press, the responsibility for the incident is left to a few engineers and a few local employees.

The fact that capitalists, bureaucrats, and politicians who reap rent from the mine are not responsible, their promises that they will provide all kinds of help and support to the families who lost their relatives in the incident, and the message that we, as a nation, should stand by the families with charitable feelings in the face of this event are injected into society through the press.

IT IS CLEAR THAT ÇALIK HOLDING RECEIVED A KIND OF BRIBE

However, it is not possible to engage in mining activities without obtaining a permit from the Ministry of Environment and approval from the Ministry of Energy.

What kind of contribution did Çalık Holding make to the granting of these permits and approvals to a foreign firm that it became a 20% shareholder in Anagold Madencilik?

Due to its role in overcoming both political and bureaucratic obstacles, it is clear that Çalık Holding is a profit-sharing partner in this business with the role of an investor, and has received a kind of economic bribe.

It is politically impossible for them to distance themselves from the incident by saying, "We are only a capital partner."

It is useful for the public to seriously discuss the political connections of the Çalık Group, which is prone to plundering both our underground and above-ground resources due to greed for money, as well as the Ministry of Environment and the Ministry of Energy.

Unless this is done, it is not possible to prevent this economic exploitation from continuing and new disasters from occurring.

IS THE APPOINTMENT OF A TRUSTEE ON THE AGENDA?

While we are at it, it is worth asking: what kind of measures have been taken, or are on the agenda, to prevent the destruction of evidence, including the appointment of a trustee to Anagold Madencilik Sanayi ve Ticaret A.Ş.?

Will the company be able to cover the public damage arising from the loss of life and the days-long soil evacuation operations? Or will the decision here also be made based on who the groups that are merely capital partners in the company are?