Social Unrest İn "Most Secured City" Amid Police İntervention To Green Protest

Locals of Artvin, a Black Sea province that Turkstat has ranked the top city with highest security index for 2015, said they felt extremely unsettled after the intervention of police and gendarmerie amid an anti-mine green protest.

Artvin has taken the first place in the safety index of Turkstat's Well-Being Index for Provinces for 2015, released in Jan.

The arrival of police and gendarmerie has created a social unrest, according to locals' comments.

Dozens have been injured after security officers' intervention with tear gas, water cannons and rubber ballots.

If mine is exctracted, no water or agricultural products can be consumed, urged Sayınur Aydemir, an Artvin local. Aydemir called on security officers "to leave as they came", stressing they have been "poisoned" by tear gas in the last week.

Sedat Aktaş said he cannot enter his own field because police vehicles have blocked the way.

Meanwhile, the Chamber of Architects and Engineers (TMMOB) announced a report on Cerattepe and urged that the region under risk of erosion could be severly affected of mining.

"The mining works will also cut off the underground water; even the state institutions clearly confirm that. It was underlined in the environmental impact assessment report that some 50 thousand 33 trees will be cut. It is clear that the flora and fauna of the region will be damaged" a TMMOB statement said.

"Artvin or Mine" urged the TMMOB.

Meanwhile, Ankara accepted to welcome a committee from Artvin in response to the request of Green Artvin Association.

(Photo) - Artvin