Mining Outcry from Gizem Özcan: “We Are Determined to Protect Muğla”
Republican People's Party (CHP) Muğla Deputy Lawyer Gizem Özcan reacted to some properties in Muğla's Yatağan and Menteşe districts being included in the scope of urgent expropriation by the General Directorate of Mining and Petroleum Affairs (MAPEG) for lignite and bauxite mining purposes.
Republican People's Party (CHP) Muğla Deputy Lawyer Gizem Özcan reacted to some properties in Muğla's Yatağan and Menteşe districts being included in the scope of urgent expropriation by the General Directorate of Mining and Petroleum Affairs (MAPEG) for lignite and bauxite mining purposes.
Emphasizing that urgent expropriation is an exceptional practice envisaged for extraordinary situations, Özcan said that it is not right to implement decisions that directly affect the future of the region for the continuation of mining activities by this method.
“The process in Milas is now being applied in Yatağan and Menteşe”
Recalling that urgent expropriation decisions taken for mining projects in Muğla's Milas district were previously annulled by the judiciary, Özcan criticized similar applications being brought up this time in Yatağan and Menteşe. She stated that this approach shows that a method previously considered unlawful in the past is being attempted to be revived and emphasized that views of local administrations, local people, professional organizations, and scientists should be taken into account in decision-making processes.
“Sixty-eight percent of Muğla is licensed for mineral exploration”
Highlighting the scale of mining activities in Muğla, Özcan said that 68 percent of the province, which has an area of approximately 12 thousand square kilometers, falls under mining exploration licenses. She noted that this rate corresponds to an area roughly the size of 1,235,000 football fields and argued that the city’s natural resources, agricultural lands, forests, and water sources are increasingly facing mining pressures.
“We will continue our struggle”
At the end of her statement, Özcan said they would continue the struggle to protect environmental and social values and highlighted the importance of preserving Muğla’s agriculture, tourism, and cultural heritage. She stated that they will maintain their determination to protect the city's soil, water, forests, and habitats.
