CHP's Günaydın on 'İliç' after 4 detentions: 'The AKP government cannot save itself'

CHP Group Deputy Chairman Gökhan Günaydın stated that the landslide at the mine in İliç, Erzincan, must be investigated in all its aspects.

"I CALL ON THE GOVERNMENT TO BE SENSITIVE"

In a press conference regarding the landslide at the mine in Erzincan, Günaydın expressed deep sorrow over the 9 workers trapped under the heap leach. Günaydın emphasized that this disaster requires a multi-faceted investigation.

Stating that a regulation planned to be discussed in the Grand National Assembly of Turkey (TBMM) today, which would further liberalize mining and move it away from public interest, has been withdrawn, Günaydın said, "Will it come back next week? Once public sentiment and sensitivity wane, they will try to bring this liberal regulation regarding mining back again. Is the issue about being careful only when sensitivity is high, or is it about protecting Turkey's land, soil, workers, and people? I call on the government to be sensitive in this area."

"AKP CANNOT SAVE ITSELF"

Touching upon the EIA report issued for the site, Günaydın continued as follows:

"It says it does not carry landslide potential. Did a landslide occur? Yes. A total of 10 million cubic meters of heap leach was piled onto an area of more than 300 decares. Does the firm that wrote this EIA report, and those who signed the report at that firm, have any responsibility in this matter or not?

The AKP government, which led to this situation, cannot save itself by detaining the field staff there. The matter must be investigated in all its aspects, starting not from the field staff there, but from those who granted that capacity increase, the owners of those firms, and their political and commercial partners."

Günaydın stated that today, the CHP and all other opposition parties submitted their motions for the investigation of the issue. Günaydın said, "Our 9 friends are still under that heap leach, that 10 million cubic meters of cyanide-laced heap leach. In fact, it is not just those children, but Turkey that has been left under that 10 million cubic meters of cyanide-laced heap leach."