Despite facing resistance from villagers, Cengiz Holding wants to expand İkizdere stone quarry

 Photo: Eren Dağıstanlı/Twitter

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While villagers' resistance against a stone quarry project in İkizdere district in the Black Sea province of Rize is continuing, the company carrying out the project has been granted permission for a new stone quarry, a report by daily Cumhuriyet has revealed.

Locals filed a complaint against the project in Gürdere village, according to the report.

The first application was made on January 19 to the 11th Regional Directorate of the Ministry of Environment and Urbanization. The company submitted its project to build a basalt quarry on 13.45 hectares of forest in İkizdere's Cevizlik village.

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The stone to be obtained from the quarry was planned to be used in the construction of the İyidere Logistics Center and Port, a project undertaken by Cengiz Holding, which has close ties to the government.

The planned amount of stone production would be 15.7 million tons and explosives would be used in the project, according to the company's application.

Cengiz Holding is one of the five companies that have undertaken many large-scale infrastructure projects during the rule of the Justice and Development Party (AKP).

Main opposition CHP deputy Mahmut Tanal shared a photo with locals on Twitter.

The government has been criticized for granting excessive amounts of payment guarantees to the five companies, which are dubbed by the opposition as "the gang of five," as part of public-private partnership projects.

Rize Provincial Directorate of Environment and Urbanization on January 21 concluded that an environmental impact assessment was not necessary.

On March 3, an application was made for the expansion of the quarry to 37.02 hectares. Annual production would be increased to 20 million tons with the expanded quarry.

It was stated in the file that the operating period would be until 2025 but it could be extended if ore was found or an increase in production was planned.

Resistance continues

Villagers, supported by opposition lawmakers, continue protesting the quarry project despite the 17-day lockdown in place.

Heading to the project site this morning, villagers were stopped by gendarmerie at around 6 a.m. One person was detained on the site where earthmovers were operating, the Ecology Union Women's Assembly reported.

The stone village where the quarry is being built is in the İşkencedere Valley, which is a natural protected area. It has been declared a "New Destination for Thermal and Winter Tourism" by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism.

There are currently six active hydroelectric power plants and two stone quarries in the İşkencedere Valley. (TP/VK)