A landslide involving a cyanide-contaminated pile last year at a gold mine operated by the Anagold company in Erzincan, eastern Turkey, claimed the lives of nine mine workers.
The thirs hearing of the trial concerning the incident was held on Sep 2. Forty-three defendants, including five in detention, are facing charges of “causing death and injury by negligence” and “polluting the environment by negligence.” Among them are Anagold’s country manager and board chairman, Cengiz Yalçın Demirci, and John Harmse, vice president for global projects of SSR Mining, Anagold's parent company. At today’s hearing, the court decided to maintain the custody of the detained defendants and scheduled the next hearing for Nov11–13.
At the second hearing on July 2, the court also continued the detentions of the five defendants in custody. Additionally, it ordered a new expert report and the submission of the company’s organizational chart.
Public officials' responsibility
New developments have emerged in the file, including matters concerning public officials’ responsibility in the disaster. On May 23, 2024, a panel of 11 experts, among them academics from institutions like Middle East Technical University, submitted a 262‑page expert report to the court.
The report criticized officials who issued the “Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Positive Decision” dated October 7, 2021, with registration number 6421, bearing the signature of Murat Kurum, then‑minister of environment and urban planning, as “principally at fault.”
In October 2024, the Erzincan Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office deemed the initial report insufficient and ordered the formation of a new expert panel. Consequently, on November 22, 2024, a new expert report, including EIA documents, was submitted to the İliç Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office.
It concluded that the disaster could not be linked to the EIA report and that “the officials from the Ministry of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change who approved or signed the EIA report were found to be without fault.” In December 2024, the prosecutor’s office issued a decision of “no grounds for prosecution” regarding those officials, stating the elements of the alleged crimes were not met.
Former minister implicated in Erzincan gold mine landslide
High-level executives absent from hearing
That decision triggered public backlash at the time. Despite the victims’ families’ lawyers’ requests, public officials were not prosecuted. Now, the family of one victim, Uğur Yıldız, has taken the no‑prosecution decision regarding public officials to the Constitutional Court. Their lawyer, Akçay Taşçı, noted that most of the defendants tried without detention have not appeared at the Erzincan trial and instead gave testimony at courts in other cities.
Taşçı said this geographic dispersion hinders following the case, contending, “We have no one beyond the five defendants or witnesses who appeared and defended themselves at the Erzincan 1st Heavy Penal Court. Among those absent are some high‑level executives such as Cengiz Yalçın Demirci. Because it is difficult for them to follow the distant court proceedings, we cannot question them. This impedes healthy progress. The true responsible persons’ positions cannot be determined.”
Taşçı also said the court panel has changed due to reassignments, and they will request again that all defendants appear in Erzincan to give testimony. Recalling that public officials were acquitted of prosecution in this case, Taşçı said, “We have taken this decision to the Constitutional Court. We know that production increased significantly after the ministry approved a capacity expansion at the mine.
"That played a significant role in the path to the disaster. In the first expert report, public officials were seen as ‘principally at fault.’ The prosecutor disregarded that report and demanded a new one, and that too resulted in no‑prosecution. We objected to that.”
Taşçı added that they have not been able to access all company data; their request to search contents such as in-vehicle camera footage and communications was denied by the court panel. He said they will appeal this decision again.
Anagold manager released from detention
Company's preparations to resume operations
Meanwhile, an Anagold official provided updates on the site’s recent operations following the landslide of 10 million cubic meters of cyanide‑tainted soil. According to the official, the transfer of the contaminated soil to a temporary site has been completed, and preparations are underway for permanent relocation.
Road construction and maintenance work within the mine is nearly finished. Salary payments continue regularly for about 400 active workers in the company system. Compensation has been paid to the families of the victims, except for the Çimen and Yıldız families, who declined the offer.
The official also stated that the Ministry of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change, along with Anagold, has conducted extensive sampling and testing of the hazardous soil’s impact on air, water and the environment. Nearly 5,000 samples have been taken so far, and no results exceeding regulatory limits have been detected.
The Canadian parent company, SSR Mining, has spent around 250 million US dollars in this area since the disaster according to the official. The official added that discussions between Anagold and the ministry are ongoing, and that the company plans to apply for an EIA before the court process concludes.
Murat Kurum on İliç gold mine disaster: 'What does landslide have to do with the EIA report?'
'We want to uncover who was negligent'
Meanwhile, Duygu Yıldız, the sister of deceased worker Uğur Yıldız, condemned the lack of public officials’ prosecution. “We want to uncover who was negligent, starting with Cengiz Demirci. We want a fair and genuine trial,” she said.
Reflecting on the 53 days they waited for her brother’s removal from beneath the earth, Yıldız summarized their plea: “We want the state to stand with the weak and the oppressed, not favor the powerful. We hope justice will heal our family’s pain. We expect the guilty to be held accountable. I don’t believe in the independence of the judiciary, but faintly, I hold onto hope that the state will stand with the oppressed this time. Isn’t my brother a citizen of this country? High‑level defendants won’t even defend themselves to our faces.”
She added that Anagold had offered 16 million liras in compensation, which they rejected. “Although it was not stated outright,” she said, “the agreement they wanted us to sign implied giving up the lawsuit.” Her family’s fight for justice continues. (GÖ/TY/VK)
