Ida Mountains Letter by Unity for Democracy: Help us to Stop Massacre of Nature

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The Unity for Democracy (DİB) Initiative has sent an open letter to 39 organizations and institutions from Canada including the Embassy and Consulate General of Canada, its ministry of environment and the related other ministries as well as the Canada-based semi-official environment organizations and non-governmental organizations.

Sending the letter today (August 15), the initiative has called these organizations and institutions to be conscientious for the future use of cyanide in the gold mine operated by the Canada-based Alamos Gold Inc. company and to support the local people in their resistance.

The DİB Initiative has sent the following letter:

'Help us to halt the massacre of nature'

"We are calling on you to help us halt the massacre of nature at the Ida Mountains on the Aegean Coast of Turkey and to support the environmentalists who are trying to save the flora and the fauna of this extraordinary corner of the world.

"We believe that nature is the common wealth of all living beings and its protection is a universal value.

'Ida Mountains are the heritage of all of us'

"Ida Mountains are the natural and cultural heritage of all of us. Homer tells us that Zeus watched the Trojan War from the summit of Ida and his ancient abode has survived for thousands of years. The area has been known as one of the most important oxygen depots of the World.

"200.000 trees have been cut down and nature has been ransacked in this invaluable forest by a Canadian firm, Alamos Gold Inc. and its local subcontractor. Needless to say, this kind of industrial deforestation increases the destructive effects of global climate change and leads to the erosion of the soil with serious consequences.

'Cyanide will be used to extract gold'

"The CEO of Alamos Gold Inc. has announced that they will be using cyanide in order to extract gold. The plan is to use 200.000 tons of cyanide on a total of 140 million tons of soil.

"This primitive and abrasive method has long been abandoned in Western countries but is being used in Turkey in order to increase profits.

"Alamos Gold's CEO, in an interview, bragged that they only invested 100 million dollars for this enterprise whereas its return value will be 4 billion dollars. This kind of investment, which will certainly damage the ecosystem and pose grave danger to the health and well-being of local residents cannot possibly be allowed in countries that respect human life and nature.

'You would not allow such destruction in Canada'

"We know that Canada has strict and exemplary legislation for the protection of its forests and Canadians would most likely not allow the destruction of 200.000 trees in their country.

"If so, as conscientious citizens of Canada, we are certain that you would agree with us that the same holds true for Turkey and that it's not ethical to have different standards for different parts of the world. In the face of gross massacres of nature such as this one, we believe that peaceful democratic protest of people in one country should echo in others.

'Please add your voice to the people defending nature'

'Please add your voice to the voice of the people who are defending the Ida Mountains so that it is heard by the international community. The only water resource and livelihood of the 180.000 people living in the vicinity of the Ida Mountains are the streams, underground waters, agricultural land, forests and the rare plants of the area that are under threat of extinction.

"Alamos Gold Inc. that established the gold mine at Ida Mountains has disregarded the recommendations of the official report that assesses the environmental effects and risks of gold mining.

'We hope conscientious Canadians won't remain silent'

"Although we know that this issue is not the direct responsibility of the Canadian government, we believe it will nevertheless support us given its high standards of environmental protection.

"We hope that conscientious Canadians will not remain silent and join the protest of Turkish NGOs and millions of environmentalists against the attack on our common physical and cultural heritage. As world citizens, we need your support in order to raise international public awareness." (PT/SD)