Murat Kurum's approval of 'EIA positive' and capacity increase in İliç revealed: 'He is primarily at fault...'

It has been revealed that the official who personally granted the "EIA positive and 2nd Capacity Increase" permit for the mine, where a landslide disaster occurred 3.5 months ago in the İliç district of Erzincan, resulting in the deaths of 9 workers, was the then-Minister of Environment and Urbanization, Murat Kurum.

CHP Deputy Chairman Deniz Yavuzyılmaz disclosed the document bearing Kurum's signature. 

"THE SOULS OF THE 9 MARTYRS..."

Yavuzyılmaz stated, "There was a document that the government kept like a secret after the mining disaster. We have reached this document. The then-Minister Murat Kurum personally gave the EIA approval decision; the document with the Minister's 'Approval' signature has emerged," and added the following:

"The Minister's signature is on the EIA Positive Decision, and in this respect, the then-Minister of Environment and Urbanization Murat Kurum is primarily at fault. This signature is the signature placed under the disaster. According to the Expert Report submitted to the İliç Chief Public Prosecutor's Office, the officials who granted the EIA Positive Decision are primarily at fault. With this decision and his signature, Murat Kurum paved the way for the accident in which 9 miners were martyred. The İliç Chief Public Prosecutor's Office must prepare a summary of proceedings regarding Kurum; this summary must be sent to the TBMM (Grand National Assembly of Turkey) via the Ministry of Justice, and the path to his trial must be opened by lifting Kurum's immunity, first in the committee and then in the General Assembly. The souls of the 9 martyrs are watching Murat Kurum."

In the landslide disaster at the Çöpler gold mine, the bodies of 4 of the 9 workers who remained under the soil have been recovered to date. 5 miners have still not been reached.