Villagers Sue Over Salt Mine's Environmental Impact Report in Tarsus

Residents of Günyurdu Mahallesi in Tarsus are preparing to take legal action against Kıvanç Maden Endüstriyel A.Ş. over a planned salt mine project. The villagers allege that the company obtained an environmental impact assessment (ÇED) report without proper consultation, sparking outrage and a determination to fight the development.

Sinan Şeyhanlıgil, the headman of Günyurdu Mahallesi, stated that the village is one of Tarsus's oldest, with a history spanning 300-400 years and a population of 2,400 to 2,500. He expressed strong opposition to the salt mine, describing the company's actions as a 'usurpation of property and land.' Şeyhanlıgil learned about the ÇED report only on July 11, when he was notified to sign an official document, and later saw the report posted publicly.

“

This is a usurpation of property and land.

The proposed salt mine, which plans to drill 120 wells, poses a significant threat to the village's primary sources of income: agriculture and animal husbandry. Şeyhanlıgil warned that the mining operations would disrupt farming, destroy the village's water supply, and turn fertile land into barren wasteland. 'This project offers us no benefit,' he stated, emphasizing the community's unified stance against it.

In response to these concerns, the villagers are initiating legal proceedings to have the salt mine's permit and ÇED report annulled. They are determined to protect their land, water resources, and traditional way of life from the potential environmental devastation threatened by the industrial project.

“

This project offers us no benefit.