Reaction to the post of September 25, 2020 entitled “Turkey’s Heritage (Mis)management”

"Likewise, last summer, local residents organised protests and collective actions to preserve the Kazdagı National Park, a conservation area near ancient Troy. The site had been opened up for exploitation by the Canadian company Alamos Gold - Canada having some of the laxest mining laws and environmentally destructive mining practices in the world - and its Turkish affiliate Dogu Biga, which are reported to have engaged in excessive deforestation and used the lethal pollutant cyanide for gold extraction."

It is disappointing that incorrect and misleading information regarding this project has been circulated in social media and media. Alamos has consistently corrected this misinformation, and will continue to do so. We welcome respectful dialogue and input on our Kirazlı project plan, which has received all government permits, and this includes our plan to preserve the long-term health and viability of the natural environments at and surrounding the project site.

Here are some facts with respect to the Kirazlı Gold Project:

1. The Kirazlı Gold Project is not located in the Kaz Mountains nor is it located in a national park. The project is located 40 km away from the Kaz Dağları National Park and 30 km from Çanakkale city centre.
2. Forestry Permits were granted to Alamos, allowing for 354 hectares to be cleared.  Approximately 20,000m3 of trees were harvested from the Kirazlı permitted area. This represents less than 2% of the total volume harvested by the Çanakkale Forestry Regional Directorate and 0.1% of the total volume harvested by the Forestry General Directorate in Turkey in 2018. Alamos has committed to reclaiming and reforesting all 354 hectares. We have already planted 14,000 trees in...