Precious gold reserves are being discovered one-by-one in Turkey. Energy and Natural Resources Minister Ali Rıza Alaboyun had announced that a gold deposit of more than 100 tons had been discovered in the town of Soma, Manisa in the Aegean region. Meanwhile, more good news has been received from Değirmenbaşı village in the İvrindi district of Balıkesir. The drilling, which was carried out by Nurol Holding with permission from the General Directorate of Mineral Research and Exploration (MTA), resulted in the discovery of gold and silver reserves worth more than $2 billion in a 50,000-square-meter area. The authorities of the holding have now applied for an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) to the Balıkesir Provincial Department of Environment for the operation of the mine. While the authorities are reluctant to provide further information about the reserves, the village head, İsmail Keskin, said various authorities from the Environment and Urbanization Ministry and representatives from the company visited them to provide information on the progress. "At first, we had our reservations as we were worried about the health impact, but they have convinced us," he said. "They stressed that all mineral exploration and surveying work will be performed by the latest technologies, which do not pose a health threat to the locals. The meeting was held after we received an official letter from the Balıkesir Municipality. Furthermore, our fellow villagers are helping with the exploration and survey work that is taking place in Sivritepe, Kabaktepe and Çalkaya regions."
The reserve was discovered by local engineers of TÜMAD Madencilik, an affiliate of Norul Holding, and has become the largest gold mine discovered by local engineers in Turkey. The surface mine will be operated using state-of-the-art technologies.
