Gülen-linked gold firm’s operations halted for second time in two months

ISTANBUL

REUTERS Photo

Gold firm Koza Altın’s operations at a mine in the Central Anatolian province of Eskişehir have been suspended by the governorship, two months after the halting of another mine belonging to company known to have close ties with Islamic scholar Fethullah Gülen.

According to a statement issued to the Public Disclosure Platform (KAP) by the company, the Eskişehir Governorship suspended operations at the company’s Kaymaz open cast mine, located in the Karakaya village, claiming that part of the area was a meadow.

Koza Altın said the land was not classified as a meadow in official records, stressing that the business had all necessary permits and licenses according to the Mine Law.

“We will use all our legal rights regarding the process,” the firm also said.

Koza Altın produces 668,129 tons of gold and silver, around one third of its overall output, at the Kaymaz mine. The company is owned by Akın İpek, a businessman known to have close ties to the Gülen movement, which has been at odds with the government amid the ongoing graft probe. İpek also owns daily Bugün and broadcaster Kanaltürk.

In January, Koza Altın had announced that a court suspended an order issued by the İzmir Provincial Administration for closure of its Çukuralan mine due to the absence of “environmental permits or the environmental permits and licenses’ document.