Turkey: The fight against Eurogold continues (AFP)

[ozgurluk at xs4all.nl]

Subject: Turkey: The fight against Eurogold continues (AFP)
From: Press Agency Ozgurluk <ozgurluk at xs4all.nl>


Turkey-protest : Turkish villagers occupy land of western
gold company

ANKARA, April 22 (AFP) - Thousands of angry Turkish
villagers, protesting what they called poisonous methods by
a French-Canadian gold company, on Tuesday occupied a
parcel of land in western Turkey where the firm was due to
extract gold, the Anatolia news agency said.

The villagers drove onto the property owned by Eurogold
mining company in hundreds of cars and tractors early
Tuesday, it said.

Security forces were sent to evacuate the protesters from
the area, but no further details were immediately
available.

The area where Eurogold was due to start mining is situated
near the ancient city of Pergamon, 200 kilometres (130
miles) southwest of Istanbul.

The demonstrators from 17 villages are protesting against
plans by Eurogold to use cyanide, a highly poisonous
substance, in extracting gold, claiming that the technique
would pollute the environment.

However, Eurogold's general manager Jack Testard said in a
recent interview with AFP that the cyanide technique was
being applied in nearly 70 percent of the gold mines
throughout the world and that the method had proved to be
harmless.

"They are speaking of cyanide, but cyanide completely
dissolves in time through oxidation," Testard said on April
2, adding the company would take every measure to prevent
pollution.

Residents in Pergamon area unanimously voted against mining
with cyanide in an informal referendum in January, but
company officials said the unofficial vote was illegal.

Pergamon mayor Sefa Taskin who leads the anti-mining
campaign told AFP earlier in April that the protesters
would continue with efforts to prevent Eurogold from
operating in the area.

-- 
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