Anatolia's rich underground resources promise hope for the economy

In his statement marking December 4, International Miners' Day, Emiroğlu said that high-quality and high-grade new zinc reserves were recently identified in the Eastern and Southeastern Anatolia regions and that the operational phase has begun.

Stating that the country's gold production has increased compared to last year, Emiroğlu noted that a new copper reserve has been found in the Elazığ region, which is an important resource for the country.

Emiroğlu stated that Turkey exported 487.2 million dollars worth of minerals in September and 502 million dollars in October, adding, "During the pandemic period we left behind, unit prices reached historical peaks. This supported our mineral exports in terms of value."

Pointing out that Turkey has a rich potential for resource diversity in the mining sector, Emiroğlu shared information that the country is the world's largest exporter of marble, feldspar, and travertine, the second-largest exporter of chrome ore, the largest producer and exporter of boron, the third-largest producer and exporter of natural stone, and the world's eighth-largest producer of zinc and 10th-largest producer of lead.

Emiroğlu also emphasized that Turkey ranks 11th in the world in terms of gold reserves, stating, "Furthermore, Turkey is the country that produces the most gold among EU countries. These figures I have provided reveal our country's mining potential. This potential will reveal many new exploitable mineral reserves with the increase in exploration and new investments."

Reminding that important work is also being done regarding rare earth elements, which are vital for new technologies, Emiroğlu said, "It is stated that a significant reserve has been identified, especially in Eti Maden's Beylikova Mining Field in Eskişehir. We are waiting with great excitement for the investments to be made in this field and the high-value products to be obtained to make significant contributions to our national economy."

"MINING IS THE ONLY SECTOR CAPABLE OF CLOSING THE CURRENT ACCOUNT DEFICIT"

Drawing attention to the fact that Turkey's foreign trade deficit stemming from energy and minerals is at the level of 100 billion dollars, Emiroğlu said that the portion of the country's current account deficit caused by mineral, metal, and gold imports is around 60 billion dollars.

Underlining that Turkey possesses vast underground wealth, Emiroğlu said, "Within 10 years, we can increase exports to the 15 billion dollar level and gold production to 100 tons. Therefore, mining is the only sector that can close this current account deficit."

Emiroğlu stated that the Turkish mining sector faces country-specific problems in addition to global and regional risks, saying, "Conflicts and tensions in different parts of the world are our most important global risks. On the other hand, trade wars between the US and China, protectionist measures, and political instabilities all constitute geopolitical risks for the sector."

Reminding that mining investments are large-budget, long-term, and risky investments, Emiroğlu continued as follows:

"Among the risks in our country, those stemming from the inability to sufficiently improve the investment environment come first, which is much more painful for us. Mining investments are large-budget, long-term, and risky investments. For these investments to be realized, first and foremost, exploration and operating licenses must be secured. Investors who do not see this guarantee are fleeing this sector."

"AS A SECTOR, WE HAVE THE ACCUMULATION TO MEET OUR COUNTRY'S RAW MATERIAL NEEDS"

Emphasizing that production in Turkey is carried out in accordance with international standards, Emiroğlu said, "We apply the same measures in our country regarding environment and human health in mining as are applied in developed countries. As a sector, we possess the advanced technology, knowledge, and human resources to meet our country's raw material needs."

Underlining that despite all the technological equipment used and all the measures taken, unfortunate accidents can occur in the sector from time to time, Emiroğlu stated that as the Turkish Miners Association, they are actively working to improve occupational health and safety (OHS) in the mining sector with the belief that "every accident is preventable."

Mentioning that they have prepared the Roadmap for Safe Mining to improve OHS conditions in the mining sector, Emiroğlu shared the information, "In addition, we have established an OHS Committee within our association to follow OHS legislation, prepare an OHS Handbook, and ensure consensus among members in this field. This committee plays an active role in spreading the OHS culture in the mining sector."

Stating that miners are the soldiers of a very difficult and equally honorable profession who bring the underground wealth of the country to the surface, provide raw materials to the industry, and contribute to the national economy and employment, Emiroğlu noted the following:

"Our profession is not easy at all. It requires expertise, technical knowledge, and experience, but most importantly, it requires people who are dedicated to mining. I celebrate the December 4 International Miners' Day of all our miners who, by dedicating themselves to this profession, bring our country's underground resources to light and illuminate our future with the ore they extract."

News Source: 12punto