Prosecutors in Erzincan have launched an investigation into journalist Duygu Kıt over her report on a project to construct a stone quarry in proximity to a village on charges of “spreading misleading information,” the Gazete Duvar news website reported on Wednesday.
The investigation was launched upon a complaint filed by the Erzincan Governor’s Office, and it targets, in addition to the journalist, a local NGO member whose commentary was included in the coverage of the news.
Kıt has been summoned by the police for questioning as part of the investigation, the report said.
“It is my right and duty as a journalist to cover something that could potentially impact the environment,” she said.
Erzincan province recently made the news with a gold mine landslide that left nine workers buried under the sand.
The disaster, which occurred in February, also led to fears of cyanide contamination in water sources in the region.
Later reports revealed that the incident occurred after the authorities disregarded repeated warnings by civil society and opposition groups.
