Citizens in Hakkari started a protest against zinc and lead mines
HAKKARİ – Village residents started an action against the mining activities that have been going on since 2007 in Kavaklı village of Hakkari.
The people of Kavaklı village, which is 50 kilometers away from Hakkari city center and was evacuated in 1995 due to the conflict in the region, went to the mining area with a group of a hundred people living in Hakkari, Van and Yüksekova in order to stop the zinc and lead mining activities started by Karakaya Maden and Sedex Resources Mining companies in 2007. gradually started to take action.
The group, who took permission from the soldiers on duty at the Şine Bridge, walked to the valley where the mining area is located and made a press statement in the area where the mine galleries are located. The villagers who wanted to meet with the mining company owners met with two company officials under the control of the gendarmerie. The villagers started a vigil after their demands were not accepted. A group of 40 village residents kept the first watch.
“Mining operations must be stopped immediately”
Salih Kurt, who read the statement on behalf of the people of Kavaklı village, said that they were victims of the mining activities. Kurt said, “The mine located in the pasture areas of our village has been causing serious damage to the environment and the living spaces of the villagers for 18 years. Our lands have been polluted and lost their productivity due to mining operations. Our water resources have been poisoned and become undrinkable. Air pollution has increased and caused respiratory problems. The grazing areas of our animals have been destroyed.” The natural beauty of our village has been damaged. Despite these problems, mining operations continue uninterruptedly. Although we, as villagers, have repeatedly appealed to the authorities, no solution has been found. We, as the village people, demand that the mining operations be stopped immediately to protect the rights of our village and future generations. “The activities of the mine in the pasture areas of Kavaklı village should be stopped immediately. The damage caused by the mine to the environment should be compensated. The living spaces of the villagers should be restored and the damage caused by the mining activity should be reforested in the region.”
While the villagers started a rotating guard action in front of the mine, the gendarmerie increased its measures in the region.
Source: İhlas News Agency / Current
