Peri Bayav

News Center- A long-term struggle was carried out against the establishment of the first modern gold mine in Bergama district of İzmir province of Turkey before thermal-electricity power plants and destruction of green areas became ordinary in Turkey. Women villagers became the backbone of the ecology struggle by being on the frontline in the struggle in Bergama. They organized civil disobedience actions and managed to gains legal wins. The resistance that started in the early 1990s turned into a mass resistance after thousands of trees were cut down by Eurogold, a gold mining transnational company (TNC) in 1996. The resistance lasted until the mid-2000s. Those who took part in the resistance are still remembered for their actions; they chained themselves to the fences of the Bosporus Bridge in İstanbul, they did not participate in the population census, they demanded a referendum to be held in the Bergama villages and they marched half-naked only with their underwear on the streets of Bergama. 

From past to today: Bergama

The planned gold mining in Bergama with the cyanide leach method had many risks. The actions that started in 1992 increased in 1993. When Eurogold started to cut down olive and pine trees in 1996, actions were carried out in mass. The villagers blocked the highway between İzmir-Çanakkale for hours. The villagers organized the “coffin demonstration” in Bergama with the participation of thousands of people during which 2 coffins were carried with Chopin’s funeral march playing in the background which symbolically pointed at the fact that they were facing a fatal risk. In 1997, the actions gained momentum when dynamite was detonated in the mine pit. About 400 villagers occupied the mine pit. And hundreds of villagers chained themselves to the fences of the Bosporus Bridge in İstanbul; this protest caused a major interruption of the İstanbul traffic. Nearly 10,000 villagers did not participate in the population census. People of Bergama said, “We don’t want gold but our lands”. Women villagers were on the frontline in the protests. Although Eurogold tried to convince the public by using its entire means for about ten years, it faced determined resistance. The resistance of the villagers of Bergama has become a model for similar initiatives around Turkey. The slogan saying, “Everywhere is Bergama, we all are from Bergama” spread all around Turkey. Lawyers, scientists, architects, engineers, ecologists, environmentalists, doctors banded together with the people of Bergama and made the struggle and solidarity heard all around Turkey. As the rights for the operation of the Ovacık goldmine were canceled, the Eurogold Company did not give up its purpose. The Eurogold didn’t close its construction site. In those years when the resistance lasted for years, the mine pit was closed only twice. Eurogold has continued its activities ever since. The villagers have lost their faith in laws.

When we look at the history of the ecology movement in Turkey, we see it began in the 1980s. In the Aegean region, the campaign against the Project of Aliağa thermal power plant in 1989 can be considered as the first serious environmental movement. But the resistance of villagers of Bergama has special importance. Particularly women were on the frontline in the resistance. 

 What happened around Kaz Mountains?

After Bergama, similar projects of foreign companies in many parts of Turkey's started to be heard more often. Kaz (Ida) Mountains have remained on the agenda due to the ongoing destruction of nature. Beyond being a national park, the mythological and historical value of Kaz Mountains cannot be discussed. Cutting down thousands of trees around the Kaz Mountains can cause big disasters in Turkey. The cyanide to be used by the Canadian company Alamos Gold to get gold is highly toxic. Cyanide, which could contaminate the nearby water supply, will cause severe damage to both people and nature. The Kaz Mountains have the most important water resources and oxygen in the world. The mountains also have an ecosystem that offers very important agricultural resources. NGOs, politicians, and thousands of citizens came together against the destruction of the mountains known as oxygen reservoirs of Turkey. Ten thousand people came together in Kaz Mountains against the gold mine project. Singers organized concerts in order to support the protests. As people started an online campaign against the gold mine, local people and nature advocates launched a “Water Watch” protest. After the reactions of the environmentalists, ecologists, and artists against the gold mine around the Kaz Mountains, the destruction of trees was stopped. The activities of Alamos Gold are currently suspended due to its license that has not been renewed for a while.

Women in the struggle for ecology

Women being on the frontline in the struggle for ecology all around Turkey have strengthened their ties with nature even more. They were on the frontline in the protests against gold mines both in Bergama and Kaz Mountains in order to protect and beautify their living spaces. The struggle makes women more visible and even activates her power to speak out. 

The climate crisis is connected with gender equality

As it is very clear that nature, just like women, is under the control of male domination, women protect nature connecting with their existence in the pursuit of rights and freedom. As the struggle for ecology stands against manhood as a fundamental struggle for rights, women’s organized struggle is being repositioned against the domination of power. Throughout history, women have always been the first to raise their voices during every social event. Women struggling with the most serious social problems never hesitate to raise their voices for their living spaces. While the struggle against the climate crisis is connected with gender equality, women resisting all the difficulties of life raise resistance in nature.

Let’s hear the women saying, “We want our lungs (trees); we protect the lives of our children and grandchildren. Keep gold in its place. Water is everything; there is no life without water. We don't want too much. We don't ask for money from the government, from anyone; we just want to be happy in our own way. We all come here along with our children, and we will come. Our gold, our heaven is water.”