News Release
May 10, 2002
Bergama, Turkey.
THOUSANDS OF PEASANTS RESIST NEWMONT-OWNED GOLDMINE IN BERGAMA, TURKEY
In the Northern Aegean town of Bergama thousands of villagers are fighting for their lands and their lives. The villagers from 17 villages within a 5 km radius of a Normandy/Newmont goldmine -- installed illegally on prime agricultural land and literally on top of the houses in the village of Ovacik -- have protested the mine for 12 years now. . They are furious that the Turkish government, under pressure from the IMF, has ignored court injunctions against the gold mine, and has issued a special permit to Normandy/Newmont. Now they’ll take their case to international courts and escalate civil disobedience.
Bergama is a Garden of Eden -- a tourist haven where the Acropolis annd the Asclepion (health center) of the ancient Roman Kingdom of Pergamon attract tens of thousands of visitors each year. The prime agricultural land in the alluvia filled Bakircay valley where the goldmine is situated produces some of the world’s best cotton, olives, pine nuts, citrus fruits, figs, grains and tobacco. There is animal husbandry and honeybee production in the region.
The goldmine named Eurogold came to the region in the late 1980ies. In the mid nineties, it changed its name to Normandy. In March 2002, Normandy was bought by Newmont.
The cyanide leach method used in gold mining poses a severe threat to the environment. That’s why most gold mines in the world are located in the wilderness, away from residential and agricultural lands. A fault line passing from Kaynarca, only 1,5 kms from the mine site presents an earthquake risk that could be catastrophic, and the high water consumption of the mine depletes the ground water, destroying agriculture in the region. There are 45000 people living in the town and villages of Bergama.
In 1996, the miners cut 2,500 pines and 800 olive trees on the mine site. Since April 2001 when they started trial production, they have been exploding dynamite several times a day, causing severe distress for the villagers. The noise and the dust have already resulted in stillborn animals and failed tobacco crops.
Normandy/Newmont officials say their cyanide treatment method is fail-safe, and that no cyanide will seep into the ground water during the 8 years they plan to operate the mine.
But scientists explain that there is no safe way to use the cyanide leach, and that the process will activate other heavy metals such as lead, arsenic and cadmium that will destroy the land forever.
The Newmont goldmine threatens the villagers’ livelihood. The villagers who are independent, and who today produce fruits, olives, vegetables and cheese will no longer be able to feed themselves. They have nowhere to go – except to the squatter neighbourhoods of big cities. The Turkish government is using the police and the gendarmerie to protect the goldmine. In April, Oktay Konyar, the leader of the villagers of Bergama was imprisoned for two weeks, on drummed up charges of insulting a police officer.
Support the villagers of Bergama! Tell Newmont to get out of Ovacik!
For more information:
Ustun Reinart
Solidarity with the Villagers of Bergama
Phone: 90 312 210 3158
Email: [email protected]