Gold company suspends construction activities in Kirazlı

ANKARA-Anadolu Agency

Canadian gold producer company on Oct. 14 announced suspension of its construction activities in Çanakkale's Kirazlı region as mining concessions expired on Oct. 13.

"[Alamos] has suspended all construction activities on its Kirazlı project pending the renewal of its Turkish mining concessions which expired on Oct. 13, 2019," Alamos Gold said in a statement.

The company stressed that there will be no further construction activities until the mining concessions are renewed, although it has not been revoked and can be renewed following the expiration date.

"The Company has met all the regulatory requirements and conditions for the concessions to be renewed and reasonably expected the renewal by the expiration date," it said, claiming that local communities still support Kirazlı project.

Referring to environmentalist organizations-led protests to the project -- known as Kaz Mountains protests -- the company said that there has been false information on the gold mining project that spread through social media, and added: "The Company continues to share correct information about the project, and dispels misinformation which gave rise to protests and social media inaccuracies concerning the Kirazlı project".

"Given the uncertainty around the timing of the concession renewal, initial production from Kirazlı has been delayed from previous guidance of late 2020," it added.

Canadian-based gold producer Alamos Gold company completed the necessary applications in 2010 for exploration of gold and silver mines in Kirazlı-Balaban region, 30 km away from the center of Çanakkale and 40 km away from Kaz Mountains in western Turkey.