In a Turkish forest, resistance grows to a Canadian company’s gold-mining project

Source:
Globe and Mail

Originally published as a centrespread in the Globe an Mail print edition August 27. 2019. Read the full item here: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/world/article-in-a-turkish-forest-resistance-grows-to-a-canadian-companys-gold/

Thousands of protesters have shown up to speak out against Alamos Gold’s Kirazli mine over deforestation, water and the future of local species

NICK ASHDOWN
NIALL MCGEE, MINING REPORTER
CANAKKALE, TURKEY AND TORONTO
SPECIAL TO THE GLOBE AND MAIL
INCLUDES CORRECTION
PUBLISHED AUGUST 26, 2019, UPDATED SEPTEMBER 3, 2019

Drone footage shows denuded forest landscapes around the Kirazli mine site in northwestern Turkey, whose Canadian owner, Alamos Gold, is facing local opposition over the project's environmental impact.COURTESY OF CANAKKALE MUNICIPAL GOVERNMENT

In the heavily forested Ida Mountains of northwestern Turkey, a bus carrying protesters snakes along the winding roads to its next stop in the fight against the planned construction of a gold mine by a Canadian company.

They were among some 5,000 people protesting earlier this month against Alamos Gold’s nearby mining site and now, a couple of days later, they are heading toward a small campsite where a few dozen activists have stayed behind to keep a vigil. A lively 61-year-old from the nearby city of Canakkale is too riled up to take a seat being offered by the younger passengers.

“We went out to protest because we are against gold mines using cyanide. We went to protect our forest, water and animals living in these mountains. We want to live, we don’t want to get cancer,” the retiree said.

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Read the full item here: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/world/article-in-a-turkish-forest-resistance-grows-to-a-canadian-companys-gold/