Operations at the cyanide gold mine in Fatsa have been suspended

On February 13, in the İliç district of Erzincan, Anagold Madencilik Sanayi ve Ticaret A.Ş.saw 9 workers trapped under a landslide at the mining site where it operates.

According to a report by İbrahim Gündüz from Odatv; following the disaster in İliç, the facility in Ordu's Fatsa operations at the cyanide gold mine in the district have been suspended.

The decision, by the Ordu Governorship, was taken in accordance with the Ordu Administrative Court'sdecision to revoke the license dated December 25, 2023.

In particular, last year, due to excessive rainfall, the mine's cyanide leaching area was flooded, and this water mixed into streams as muddy water containing cyanide and heavy metals, leading to environmental disasters.

PROFESSIONAL CHAMBERS AND LOCAL RESIDENTS HAD REACTED

On February 15, environmental advocates gathered at Cumhuriyet Square to protest the massacre in İliç and draw attention to the dangers they face.

While many non-governmental organizations participated in the protest led by the Fatsa Nature and Environment Association, representatives from the CHP, SOL Party, Saadet Party, and IYI Party in Fatsa, as well as independent mayoral candidates, were also present at the site.

Residents of Fatsa, who have been fighting for a long time against the mining company that extracts gold using cyanide, unfurled banners reading, "Let İliç be the last, say no to cyanide in İliç."

In recent days, the Ordu Chamber of Commerce and Industry issued a press release drawing attention to the dangers in mining areas and stating that measures must be taken regarding the mines in Ordu.

The statement, which highlighted the similarities between the mining operations in İliç and those operating in Fatsa, included the following: "We share our sorrow with the public over the 9 workers trapped under the rubble as a result of the disaster at the gold mine site in the İliç district of Erzincan."