‘What is done is done in Kirazlıyayla, what happens if we win the lawsuit?’

* Photos: Yenişehir Environment Platform

Click to read the article in Turkish

Kirazlıyayla is a village in Yenişehir in Turkey's western province of Bursa. Meyra Mining Company has been operating in the region since 2014. As part of its works to expand the copper-lead-zinc mine, the company took the coronavirus quarantine as an opportunity and cut trees in April.

The villagers of Kirazlıyayla attempted to stop these activities by protesting and making statements for the press, but they were faced by the harsh intervention of the law enforcement agencies every time. Nevertheless, the villagers are still resisting against the mine.

While the company keeps on working without feeling the need to wait till the judicial process comes to an end, the expert examination was carried out in the area yesterday (June 29). However, villagers were not allowed to partake in the examination as the complainants of the lawsuit.

* Excavators still working in the area

Speaking to bianet about the current situation in Kirazlıyayla, Murat Demir from the Bursa Nature Association (DOĞA-DER) has briefly said:

'Company keeps working day and night'

"Something is wrong here. Normally, the administrative courts are supposed to give a ruling of stay of execution for the operations of mining companies in such cases so that no one will come to harm. However, as no such ruling has been given here and the activity has already taken place, it will not mean much even if we win the lawsuit because they have already done what was planned to be done. This time, as the activity has been completed by 70 percent, the court will see public benefit there and reject its demolishment.

"Normally, a decision of non-prosecution is given by the court until an expert report is issued and, in the light of this report, the court rules for a stay of execution till the trial is concluded. But, neither of them has been done here, unfortunately. There is no ruling of stay of execution. The company now keeps on operating day and night."

Demir has also said that they expect the expert report to be announced in a month and the court to give a ruling accordingly. He has added that they will keep making their voices heard with events and calls in the upcoming period.

In the meanwhile, villagers are also campaigning on social media under the hashtag #Kirazlıyaylayısavun (Defend Kirazlıyayla).

The Northern Forests Defense and Yenişehir Environment Platform have shared the below two tweets with pictures showing the environmental destruction in the area and the prevention of the villagers from participating in the expert examination, respectively:

Bu canlarımıza, az ötede sahasını genişletmek için ormanı yağmalayan maden rantçıları kıymış.

Burası #Kirazlıyayla. Bursa'nın, İznik Gölü'nün, Yenişehir Ovası'nın can damarı.

Yegane su ve nefes kaynaklarımızı böyle pervasızca kesip atamalılar. #KirazlıyaylayıSavun pic.twitter.com/q6WRiRvWBt

— Kuzey Ormanları Savunması (@kuzeyormanlari) June 27, 2020

Bugün köyde yapılan keşfe davanın sahipleri alınmadı. Firmanın çalışanları şantiye alanındaydı ama köylüler hatta köy adına konuşma yetkisi olan ve davacı olan derneğe bile söz hakkı verilmedi. Son anda sadece dernek başkanının içeri girmesine izin verildi. #KirazlıyaylayıSavun pic.twitter.com/wvVY44CYxa

— Yenişehir Çevre Platformu (YEÇEP) (@YYecep) June 29, 2020

(SO/AÖ/SD)