In the Official Gazette dated June 16, 2024, it was announced that the General Directorate of Mining and Petroleum Affairs of the Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources would auction off 545 mining sites spanning the entire country. This announcement was published inviting bids for the auction and sale of 545 mining fields around Türkiye. However, the inclusion of a mining exploration area of 10 villages in the Arhavi district of Artvin has seen quite a lot of backlash. The local population has mobilized against the possible damage and ecological destruction the mining activities might bring.
The Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources said that the auctioning of the 545 mining sites would be through sealed competitive bids and public auctions. Drilling in the total area of 2,149.07 hectares, including Eğrisu, Sevahil, and Tuvahit Plateaus, will be conducted in Arhavi district, which falls under Group IV Metallic minerals. This group includes very precious minerals like gold, silver, platinum, and other endemic minerals.
Public Response and Resistance
There has been huge resistance to this development by the people of Arhavi. Citizens and ecology defenders came out to the Çifteköprü area to protest and ask that the mining exploration site project be scrapped. Nazlı Demet Uyanık, an animal lover and environmental activist, called on the public to join the fight, saying on social media, "We will either oppose collectively or we will perish. May our struggle be blessed!"
After the call from Demet Uyanık, locals and a few activist groups came out to protest against mining exploration and hydropower plant projects. Among the participants in these protests were many famous people from CHP Artvin Deputy Uğur Bayraktutan, Hopa Mayor Utku Cihan, and Çamlıca Nature Conservation Platform Spokesperson, the author Funda Özyurt, who also drew attention to the possible damage to the regional ecosystem.
Mining Exploration and Environmental Impacts
These drilling activities will pose great danger to the natural habitats and water resources of this region. Geological explorations initiated in the plateaus of Arhavi since 2017, besides quarries and HES projects, had already disturbed the ecological balance. One more mining exploration site initiates a serious hazard to the ecosystem of the region now.
Associate Professor Dr. Oğuz Kurtoğlu of the Forestry Faculty at Karadeniz Technical University drew attention to the collective impact of mining exploration and HES projects. "While the cumulative effect of four HES projects equals tenfold the effect of one, the energy to be acquired from these projects will meet only 3.25 percent of the country's needs. These projects do great damage to nature and cannot meet the local energy demand," Kurtoğlu said.
The Artvin Provincial Directorate of Environment and Urbanization has announced that the site is suitable for the EIA process. This report, has been under huge criticism as it has not taken into consideration the quantum of environmental destruction the drilling processes will create. The existence of endemic species and possibility of contamination of water sources point out the inadequacy of these assessments.
The process experienced in Arhavi has been resulting in high awareness and mobilization of the local population and ecodefenders. Emphasizing the protection of natural resources without harm to the ecosystem of the region, it has started to become clear that public unity and struggle are an integral part of this cause. The struggle to protect nature and the habitats of Arhavi is not only a local task but concerns the entire ecosystem of the country.