Protests in Türkiye: At least 1 person injured

(Baonghean.vn) - On February 17, Turkish police used tear gas to deal with hundreds of protesters against a gold mine construction project and calling for environmental protection in the Black Sea region, injuring at least one person.

Local residents set up barricades and parked cars at key locations in town and on the mountain road to prevent the investor's vehicles from carrying out construction. Photo: AFP/Getty Images

Environmental activists have set up barricades, burned materials and tree branches in front of the planned gold mine in the Alvin region of the Black Sea to prevent the project from going ahead. Locals have also parked their cars at key locations in the town and in front of mountain roads to block construction vehicles.

Police were called to the Cerrattepe district of Artvin to ensure the protest did not go too far. “The people of Artvin are strongly against this project,” said Nese Karahan, head of the Artvin Environmental Association. Nese and several other protesters are currently in police custody. One protester was also injured during the clashes.

The investor of the gold mining project is Cengiz Joint Stock Corporation. Previously, this project was suspended due to strong reactions from environmental groups. Then the project was granted permission to resume construction when the local environmental impact assessment report was approved. The CEO of this group is considered to have very close relations with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Protesters run away from tear gas fired by police. Photo: AFP/Getty Images

Artvin is a region in the northeastern border of Türkiye, bordering Georgia. With a humid climate, lush forests and majestic scenery, it is considered one of the key areas for environmental protection in Türkiye.

The protests are now attracting the attention of the Turkish government. In 2013, similar local protests aimed at protecting the environment turned into an uprising against the government.

Huyền Trân

(According to The Guardian)