Cengiz Holding, a major Turkish conglomerate with close ties to President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, has applied to restart gold production at the Çöpler mine in eastern Turkey’s Erzincan province, where a 2024 landslide killed nine workers, raising fresh concerns about safety and oversight, Turkish Minute reported, citing local media.
The company, which is active in construction, energy and mining and has received numerous large public contracts over the past two decades, recently acquired an 80 percent stake in the mine from Canada-based SSR Mining for $1.5 billion.
The Çöpler mine has remained idle since the February 13, 2024, disaster, one of the deadliest industrial accidents in Turkey in recent years.
According to sector sources, Cengiz has submitted a formal application to the Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change Ministry, relying on an environmental impact assessment (EIA) originally approved in 2014.
If approved, the company will also need a license extension from the General Directorate of Mining and Petroleum Affairs (MAPEG), a step industry representatives expect to be completed quickly.
“Production could restart at any moment once the procedures are finalized,” a sector representative told Turkish media, pointing to what critics fear could be a fast-track approval process despite the mine’s recent history.
The push to resume operations has drawn scrutiny given Cengiz Holding’s political connections. Its chairman, Mehmet Cengiz, is frequently cited by opposition figures as part of a group of major contractors accused of benefiting disproportionately from state tenders during Erdoğan’s rule.
Critics say the rapid effort to revive production raises questions about whether lessons from the 2024 disaster have been fully addressed and whether regulatory authorities are exercising sufficient independence.
The mine was previously operated by Anagold Madencilik, a joint venture in which SSR Mining held a majority stake.
Following the sale, Cengiz now controls 80 percent of the operation, while Lidya Madencilik, part of the Çalık Holding group, holds the remaining 20 percent.
Sector sources say Cengiz could also seek to acquire that stake.
The landslide that killed nine workers occurred in a heap leach area, prompting a halt to production and renewed debate over mining safety and environmental risks in Turkey.
Despite those concerns, the company’s reliance on a decade-old EIA has fueled criticism over whether current regulatory reviews are sufficient for restarting operations at the site.
