How do the Characteristics of Gold Mining Projects Affect the Level of Resistance among Local Communities? A Comparative Study

Yıl 2022, Cilt: 42 Sayı: 2, 493 - 524, 30.12.2022

Şükrü Özen Hayriye Özen

https://doi.org/10.26650/SJ.2022.42.2.0061

Öz

In this study, we aim to understand how the factors associated with gold mining projects affect the level of resistance of local communities against gold mining. Unlike previous research that claimed that the objectively observable features of mining projects directly affect the level of resistance, we argue from a post-structuralist perspective that objective features can affect resistance only as they are articulated in anti-mining and pro-mining discourses. Based on this premise, we compare the features of the Artvin-Cerrattepe, Eşme-Kışladağ, Menderes-Efemçukuru and İliç-Çöpler projects between 1994 and 2010 by associating them with anti-mining and pro-mining discourses as well as resistance levels. Our comparison shows that the features of projects, such as the mining company’s country of origin, the use of cyanide, the value of the mine for the company, the proximity of the mining site to settlement areas, its topographic location, and the income level of locals that the mining site directly impacts, affect the level of resistance only through the meanings that they take in the anti-mining and pro-mining discourses. Our study also reveals that the resistance level is unrelated to the kind of mineral, mining quarry, or grade. Our study contributes to the relevant literature by offering both a theoretical framework that relates the characteristics of mining projects to the level of local resistance in a novel way, as well as three influential project characteristics neglected in the literature – the mining company’s country of origin, the value of the mine for the company, and the mining site’s topographic location.

Anahtar Kelimeler

Protest movement, Local resistance, Gold mining, Discourse, Post-structuralism

Altın Madeni Projelerinin Özellikleri Yerel Toplulukların Direniş Düzeyini Nasıl Etkiler? Karşılaştırmalı Bir Araştırma

Öz

Bu çalışmada, Türkiye’deki altın madeni projelerinin özelliklerinin yerel toplulukların madene karşı direniş düzeyini nasıl etkilediğini araştırmayı amaçlamaktayız. Maden projelerinin nesnel bir şekilde gözlemlenebilir özelliklerinin direniş düzeyini doğrudan etkilediğini iddia eden nesnelci anlayışın egemen olduğu mevcut literatürün aksine, post-yapısalcı bir perspektiften nesnel özelliklerin ancak maden karşıtı ve yanlısı söylemde kurulduğu biçimiyle direnişi etkileyebileceğini iddia etmekteyiz. Bu doğrultuda, Artvin-Cerrattepe, Eşme-Kışladağ, Menderes-Efemçukuru ve İliç-Çöpler projelerinin 1994-2010 yılları arasında sahip oldukları özellikleri, hem maden yanlısı ve karşıtı grupların söylemleriyle hem de direniş düzeyleriyle ilişkilendirerek karşılaştırmaktayız. Bu karşılaştırmalı analiz sonucunda, projelerin özelliklerinden maden şirketinin menşei, üretim sürecinde siyanür kullanımı, madenin şirket için değeri, yerleşim yerlerine mesafesi, topoğrafik konumu, madenden etkilenen yöre halkının gelir düzeyinin, yöre halkının madene karşı direnişini hem protesto söylemi hem de maden yanlısı söylem aracılığıyla etkilediğini gösteriyoruz. Diğer yandan madenin türü, ocak türü ve tenör gibi özelliklerinin direnişle ilişkilerinin olmadığını ortaya koyuyoruz. Çalışmamız, ilgili literatüre bir yandan maden projelerinin özelliklerini direniş düzeyiyle ilişkilendiren yeni bir teorik çerçeve sunarak, diğer yandan maden şirketinin menşei, madenin şirket için değeri ve madenin topoğrafik konumu gibi literatürde değinilmeyen proje özelliklerinin de çatışan söylemlerde yer alarak direniş düzeyini etkilediğini göstererek katkıda bulunmaktadır.

Anahtar Kelimeler

Protesto hareket, Yerel direniş, Altın madenciliği, Söylem, Post-yapısalcılık, Protest movement, Local resistance, Gold mining, Discourse, Post-structuralism

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