133 gold mining licenses given across Turkey, says Energy Minister

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Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Fatih Dönmez has said that there are licenses for 133 mines containing gold in total across Turkey.

Minister Fatih Dönmez has answered the Parliamentary question of main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) Niğde MP Ömer Fethi Gürer. Dönmez has indicted that the sites where mining activities will be undertaken are subjected to permission.

In response to other Parliamentary questions of Gürer, Minister Dönmez previously said that "no mining licenses were given for forest areas." This time, the Energy Minister has answered, "The permissions concerning the related forest areas are given by the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry."

'Licenses given for protected areas as well'

In his answer to the MP's recent Parliamentary question, Minister Dönmez has said, "...it is checked whether there are any prairies, forests, agricultural, natural or archeological protected areas or water basins in the mining sites to be opened and, if yes, the related sites are not licensed or put out to tender without getting the necessary permissions."

Regarding the mines' damages to the environment, Fatih Dönmez has said, "If it is detected that mining activities harm nature and human health, the related activities are halted until the necessary measures are taken. The public body or institution that has detected these violations inform the other relevant public authorities about the issue."

The Minister has indicated that if the Article 7 of the Mining Law is violated, the mining licenses are cancelled if the related violation is committed for 3 times within 3 years after the first violation was reported.

State gets 232 million lira from 133 mines

Sharing details about the gold mines in Turkey, Dönmez has said, "In 2019, 39 tons of gold were produced from 24 licenses; 36 million 257 thousand 570 lira was obtained as a state's right from the gold licenses and 262 million 355 thousand 247 lira from the complex mines containing gold; 9,489 personnel in total were employed to work in complex mines containing gold."

Energy Minister Dönmez has also indicated, "In terms of active operation, there are nine operation projects for gold, 12 for gold+silver and 13 for complex mines containing gold and/or silver."

Around 30 percent paid to state as tax

According to the Energy Minister's answer, nearly 30 percent of the gold produced in Turkey is paid, directly or indirectly, to the state as tax.

Sharing details about the transactions at the Central Bank and the Borsa İstanbul stock exchange, the Minister has noted that "the entire gold produced in Turkey is sold in Turkey, it is not sold abroad."

'No cyanide is used'

Dönmez has also answered a question as to whether cyanide is used in gold mining in Turkey or not. He has indicated that cyanide or its derivatives are not used in exploring or extracting any mines, including gold.

Gürer: 124,000-hectare forest area in 15 years

Commenting on the answer of the Minister to his Parliamentary question, CHP MP Ömer Fethi Gürer has referred to the "Deforestation in the World and Turkey" report of Prof. Doğan Tolunay, a faculty member of the İstanbul University's Department of Forestry. Referring to this report, Gürer has indicated that forests have been plundered in the name of mining.

"According to the Ministry's data, the total area opened to mining in the last 15 years is over 124 thousand hectares," Gürer has underlined. "The numbers also indicate that the allocations of forests during the AKP governments increased by 170 and 200 percent. It was just in August 2020 when an area of 9 million decares, most of which consists of forests, was allocated for mines," he has noted.

'He does not talk about the destruction of nature'

"Considering that 616 mining sites were opened in July 2018 and 417 sites in April 2019, most of the forest areas have been, unfortunately, abandoned to mines in the last three years. Thousands of trees are cut in the end. This balance needs to be stroke well.

"It needs to be kept in mind that the existence and benefits of forests are as valuable as mines. Mr. Minister mentions the money accrued by the state, but he does not talk about how nature has been destroyed due to these licenses," CHP's Gürer has concluded. (TP/SD)