Court annuls mining expansion in archeologically rich Latmos Mountains

The Latmos Mountains, today's Beşparmak Mountains, located on the eastern shore of Lake Bafa in Western Anatolia, are one of the most impressive and archaeologically rich regions along the Aegean coast. However, the area has long been under threat from mining activities.

On May 21, the Aydın Administrative Court annulled the Ministry of Environment, Urbanization, and Climate Change’s permit allowing a capacity increase for Kale Mining in the Latmos Mountains.

The Ministry had granted a “positive Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA)” decision on June 21, 2023, for the expansion of Kale Mining's feldspar, quartz, and quartzite quarry operations in the area. This decision was contested by the Latmos Platform, which filed a lawsuit demanding a halt to mining activities in the region.

According to the Mezopotamya Agency, the court's decision to annul the permit was influenced by the Latmos Platform’s legal challenge. The Aydın 2nd Administrative Court ruled that the project would negatively impact olive groves, agricultural lands, the environment, and local soil and water resources.

Background

Kale Mining initially received permission to establish a mine in the area in 2004. In 2019, the company obtained another “positive EIA” decision for a capacity increase, which was later annulled by the Aydın 2nd Administrative Court and upheld by the Council of State. However, the company made modifications to the project area.

The project, which involves the extraction of raw materials through dynamite blasting, claimed in its promotional documents that the mining activities would not harm the olive groves. Despite the presence of olive groves around the quarry site, the Ministry again issued a “positive EIA” decision.

The recent court ruling underscores the ongoing conflict between environmental conservation efforts and mining interests in one of Turkey’s most historically and ecologically significant regions. (TY/VK)