Plans to open a 24.47-hectare fourth-group pumice mine in the Hûsika (Çömçeli) village of Diyarbakır's Çınar district are drawing opposition from villagers and ecology groups.
The planned mining site in the project run by OYAK Cement is located just 118 meters from the drinking water reservoir and 185 meters from the residential areas of the village, which has 60 households and about 750 residents. The project also anticipates the cutting of nearly 3,000 trees and the inclusion of cemeteries within the project area.
Pumice, or pumice stone, is a porous and lightweight rock that forms when lava rapidly cools during volcanic eruptions, suddenly trapping gases within it. It is used in many fields, including construction, textiles, agriculture, and cosmetics.
The Diyarbakır Bar Association filed a lawsuit against the project, noting that a cost-benefit analysis was not included in the project introduction file.
Villagers have protested the decision to construct a mine since it was issued. Last week, the village was blockaded by gendarmerie forces, and entry and exit were restricted.
Speaking at an action on Nov 30, Ahmet İnan, Head of the Diyarbakır Bar Association's Environment and City Commission, representing the Amed Ecology Assembly, said that gendarmerie forces fired shots in the air at close range to villagers in Mar 2025 to intimidate them. Despite the existence of footage, shell casings, and witnesses, the criminal complaint they filed on behalf of the villagers resulted in a decision of non-prosecution without an effective investigation being conducted.
'They brought out everything imaginable'
Villagers Emin Toy and Sabri Kılıç, co-spokesperson for the Amed Ecology Assembly, spoke to bianet about the events in Hûsika village, the mining project, and the problems it will create.
Emin Toy explained their reasons for opposing the project: “Our animals graze on that hill; this is how we make a living. We also have graves on the hill. A grave is spiritually important to everyone, and it is to us as well. Besides these, it is a natural area; there are trees. Natural areas are already being destroyed, and we do not want another one added to this.”
Toy also stated that law enforcement is "standing guard for the company that wants to cut down the trees." He added that they were fired upon with heavy weapons to disperse them. “They brought out everything imaginable: TOMAs, panzers, scorpions [types of crowd control vehicles]. They treated us like we were an [armed] ‘organization’ and insulted us,” Toy said.
Circumventing the EIA process
Sabri Kılıç, co-spokesperson for the Amed Ecology Assembly, described the events caused by the military encirclement. He explained that "local residents, relevant NGOs, and rights defenders initiated a legal struggle to halt the mining activity."
He stressed that each incident “constitutes a clear violation of the right to a healthy environment guaranteed by Article 56 of the Constitution, the right to peaceful assembly in Article 34 of the Constitution, and the freedom of assembly/association under Article 11 of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR)."
"For this reason, legal applications have also been filed regarding these interventions," Kılıç said. "In addition, lawsuits for the annulment of the unlawful mining activity are ongoing.”
Kılıç outlined the priorities concerning the mining project: “It is clearly unlawful that the project is being kept below 25 hectares to circumvent the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) process. We will fight for the stay of execution and annulment of this.
A multi-disciplinary expert assessment, including cumulative impact analysis, will be requested regarding flora, fauna, water resources, and landslide risk.
The opinions and obligations of all relevant institutions, particularly the State Hydraulic Works (DSİ), the Regional Forestry Directorate, Provincial Directorates of Agriculture and Forestry, and the Health Ministry, will be included in the legal grounds.”
'This case is not just about one village'
Concluding his statement, Kılıç asserted, "This case is not just about one village. This lawsuit has been filed against a clear threat to water resources, agriculture and animal husbandry, the forest ecosystem, the entirety of the flora and fauna, local culture, and way of life.”
He finished by saying, “The loss of a single tree cut here today is not just about the reduction of oxygen; it means the disruption of the water cycle, increased erosion, and the irreversible destruction of biodiversity.” (YA/Mİ/VK)
