Turkish high court rejects cancellation of copper mine in Black Sea’s Cerattepe, 6 July 2017

Turkey’s Council of State has approved a local court decision on a major copper mine in the Black Sea province of Artvin, a project that has triggered strong reactions and protests by locals and environmentalists.  After an application by the Green Artvin Association to cancel the project, the top court ruled there was no need for the cancellation...The Rize Administrative Court turned back a demand for the cancellation of the project in October 2016...in line with the ÇED [environmental impact assessment] report...Green Artvin Association president Nur Neşe Karahan and lawyer Bedrettin Kalın strongly criticized the [final] verdict...“...We didn’t expect such unjustified decisions. This will not change our decision. We will continue our struggle as a community and citizens,” Karahan said...Kalın...adding that they would also push for more judicial steps.  Eti Bakır A.Ş. [part of Cengiz Holding], the copper miner...instructions [were] to halt the work in Cerattepe until the court case ended.