Armed attack on villagers resisting mines in Aydın

Attorney Danışman and the Coşkun couple. (Photo: Evrensel)

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Unidentified perpetrators carried out an armed assault on two villagers resisting a mining project in Topçam village in Çine district of the western province of Aydın.

Ali Coşkun and Cennet Coşkun hid in a rocky area after being shot at, according to the spokesperson of the Çine Life Platform, Ahmet Uslu. The convoy of cars then headed to the village while the couple was "fearfully waiting to be rescued," he said.

Local newspapers sponsored by the Eysim Mining company reported the incident as if it was the company that was assaulted while gendarmerie officers who came to the scene did not collect evidence, said Uslu.

Threats

Attorney Hicran Danışman from the Aydın Platform for Ecology and Life visited the scene and met the Coşkun family, as well as the gendarmerie.

The family, whose house is about 60 meters away from the mine, was previously threatened with death, the attorney said.

"The gendarmerie haven't carried out a scene investigation yet. Villagers try to protect the scene by their own means for the evidence not to be spoiled," Danışman said, noting that what was in question was a serious crime like attempted murder.

"We won't let them cover up the truth," she added.

"We should hold them accountable"

Calling on all environmental and ecological groups to react to the attack, Uslu said, more armed attacks will come if "we don't hold them accountable."

He recalled the murder of Ali and Aysin Büyüknohutçu, an environmentalist couple, which hasn't been solved since 2017. "This was an example of how reckless bosses backed by the government can be."

Main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) Aydın MP Hüseyin Yıldız denounced the attack on his Twitter account. "The dark forces that do whatever they want thanks to the one-man regime that builds mining facilities in people's living spaces make an attempt on citizens' lives," he wrote.

Releasing a statement, the Ecology Union said the security forces should perform a scene investigation before the evidence is destroyed and find the perpetrators.

Mineral mining in Mount Madran in Çine causes severe ecological destruction and causes workers to lose their lives due to silicosis, it added. (TP/VK)